conversations

"Mama chase you?"
"I'm not going to chase you right now."
"I chase myself?"
"Yeah, I'd like to see that."

"I see excavator!"
"Do you see an excavator?"
"I ride it?"
"No, you can't ride on it."
"I ride it?"
"Nope."
"I ride it?"
"Uh-uh."
"I see another excavator?"
"Maybe."
"I ride that one?"

"Baseball!"
"Oh, there's the baseball stadium."
"I play baseball!"
"Sure."
"I try it?"
"Okay."
"Mama try it, too?"
"Yeah, I'll try it too."
"Papa try it, too?"
"Sure, papa too."
"Auden try it, too?"
"Yep, everyone will try it."
"Isla try it, too?"

"Red light!"
"Yes, the light is red."
"Red light, go!"
"No, silly, red light, stop."
"Red light, go!"
"No, red light, stop."
"Red light, go!"
"You're headed for a crash if you drive that way."
"Kablooie!"

"We go this way?"
"Where, to Kohl's?"
"Yah! Shopping toys?"
"No, not today."
"Kohl's?"
"Nope."
"Kohl's?"
"Nope."
"Kohl's?"
"No, honey."
"Kohl's?"
"No, we're not going to Kohl's."
"Kohl's?"
"No, we're going home."
"Kohl's?"
"Mrrphmmgghh."
"Kohl's?
"AGHHHHRRMMPPPHHHHGGGGGGAAAHHHHHH!"
"... ?"

grandma jo

Ach.

I've been on the fence about whether to post this. But it feels like a gaping omission if I don't.

My lovely grams died last month, at age 92. We drove to Michigan in time to see her alive one last time, and I had the honor of doing this sketch a few hours after she passed:

The image isn't complete without this this poem that my cousin wrote, which she read at the memorial service.

My Grandma's Arms


Babies cradled, flowers tended
Arms made strong with years of stirring, kneading
Hands that spent years caring for others

Fingers and hands composed many cards and letters
Arms that prepared delicious meals
Hands that created blankets for children

Loving arms that kept us close
Many years of work and wear
Now held in her Lord's arms.



-Rachel Redman (April 30, 2010)

Grandma Jo, we love you and miss you.

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technology vs. dinosaur

Cars face off with dinos.



Dinos attack from behind!



And win!

(Uncle Mike, dig the Lamborghini)

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mother's day

You know this is what you really feel like doing on mother's day:



But you don't, because your kid wouldn't make good turtle food, and the turtles are too cute, anyway.



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crafty

I'm more than a little obsessed with footwear for Isla. I've thrifted plenty of cute shoes for her, and STILL I can't resist making things like felted cashmere booties and these darling kimono slippers:



Auden is also benefiting from my sudden craft craze. I made him a little tote bag with some fabric cast-offs from Grandma Danely:



It has fancy satin lining inside:

So far he uses it to go grocery shopping (with all his plastic food) and to deliver the mail (maps and take-out menus from the bottom drawer in the buffet).

I've been inspired by all the great projects on this blog, and it's made me think about making more stuff. Which, GREAT, now I have like ten more projects to add to my pile of artistic ideas. I can't focus on anything for long, so we'll see how that goes, but hey, at least the creative energy is going somewhere. And Isla gets to be the Imelda Marcos of babies.

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three months

Oh, Isla.

Last year at this moment you were just a spark, just a bright cluster of cells. And now look at you! A much bigger cluster of cells! But much cuter.



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not nothing

A sketch I did in five minutes counts as making art, right?