Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Hooded Towels

A couple of weeks ago a client contacted me about making a hooded towel. Her son had a hooded towel that he absolutely loved. Jessica took measurements and pictures and sent the info on to me. Wade loves trains so it seemed fitting to embellish the towel with and engine.



I made a few improvements over the first one. Jessica is getting a new nephew in a few weeks, so towel #2 is for him.








The towel works well for babies through pre-schoolers.



Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Walter Henry you are 8 months old!

WOW! Where has the time gone? You are 2/3 of a year old!






You have become quite the night owl.



You take a good morning and afternoon nap and then like to stay up until about midnight.



You wake up around 4 each morning, nurse and go back to sleep.



You weigh 17 lbs. 11 oz.



You are rolling and scooting backwards everywhere. Just a few nights ago you nearly rolled off the bed with us watching!




You have an adorable, infectious laugh and you smile with your whole body. Rarely do we get a smile where we can't see down your throat!




You have started growling. You get something in your mouth to chew on and growl at it. You especially enjoy the dragon fly on the Jumperoo.




You can sit unassisted for longer periods of time.



You wear 6 -9 month clothes.



You wear a small diaper cover and infant prefolds.



You went to the doctor for your first sick visit. We were concerned you had an ear infection but it turned out to be a sore throat virus (and thankfully not strep!).


You must be cutting a top tooth because you are a drooling machine and you want to put everything in your mouth.



You are starting to cry a little when strangers come up to you. You warm up quickly, but you aren't so eager to play with everyone.



You have several teethers that you like to carry around but your favorite toys are those with wooden beads that move along a wire or cord.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Family reunion of sorts

One of Kent's aunts passed away recently. While a death is the family is always difficult to handle, it does give us the opportunity to get together. I enjoy looking back over days like this one and seeing the joy in the midst of sadness.
After Aunt Barbara's funeral several of the aunts, uncles, and cousins went to Kelley's. Kent and I were really surprised when we realized how much younger our children are than most of his cousin's children. There is a little girl that is 6 and then the next youngest (outside of ours) is 12.

Madisyn and her papaw. She never misses a chance to smile for the camera.


Kent and most of his cousins on the Witcher side.


Kenneth, Aunt Betty, Mamaw and Uncle Phillip.

Mamaw with most of her grandchildren.


Mamaw and Aunt Shirley. It wasn't until I was going through these pictures that I realized how prevalent blue eyes are on the Witcher side. I have blue eyes but most of my family has hazel or brown eyes. Most of Kent's have blue (as do our children).

I thought this was a good shot of Mamaw. The funeral was especially difficult for her. Ben was acting up and Kent was trying to get him to smile. Most of the kids were looking and Kent/Ben and Mamaw found some joy in that moment.


Mamaw with most of her great-grands. I know of at least 5 or 6 that are not in this picture.


Ben had enough at this point. It was a long day, with a long day the previous day and he was worn out. 4 out of 5 isn't bad - right? ;)

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Final Christmas post

Yes, I realize Christmas was a month ago.
Yes, I realize it's now 20 - 10.

Or is it Two Thousand and Tin? That's the proper way to say 10 - just ask my budding reader ;).

But, I want to share so feel free to mark me read on your blog reader and find someone who is posting from the proper decade. ;)



Kent's family came to our house for a Christmas dinner this year and Madisyn decided that our decorations weren't quite up to par. It says "Have a Joly Joly Time!!! thanks for being family" I thought it was pretty sweet.


Henry is always ready for a good time.

And they're off. I can't imagine what it will be like when some cousins join the fun. Our kids always have such a great time when Nana, Papaw, Uncle Phillip, Aunt Vicki, Brooke, Joey and Calen come over.

This is a favorite gift. Madisyn is always trying to read in the car but her overhead light causes me problems with driving. So we bought her a book light and solved the problem. Only Ben thinks it's a flash light and that it's his, so now we have another problem. ha!




Henry and Daddy



Uncle Phillip reads the best stories. You can never go wrong with anything that has a green tractor on the front.
I think this is the only proof that Ben sat still for .003 seconds.


We gave Mamaw and Grandpa a copy of one of the pictures we took at Thanksgiving. It has the two of them along with our 5 children. I don't know how many times Mamaw picked it back up and looked over it. She absolutely loves it. I really like to give photo gifts to the grandparents/great-grandparents. They all have more expendable income than we do and they already have most anything they need/want. I think that picture was Mamaw's most prized gift.

My poor daughter. She didn't get a Western mommy. Good thing that cousin Brooke is there so show her what all the cowgirls are wearing this season. Aunt Vicki and Brooke got Madisyn a horse necklace and barrel racing earrings and I think they have been worn every day. Madisyn even takes the earrings out at night and puts them back in.



Everybody loves to cuddle with Henry bug.




I'm not really sure who is laughing more here, Griffin or Uncle Phillip. When Uncle Phillip comes over, everyone sleeps very soundly that night (and I think Uncle Phillip does too ;) ).








Thursday, January 21, 2010

Gingerbread Men



As part of our Christmas Eve festivities we made Gingerbread men. Even Daddy got in on the fun.









They tasted even better than they looked.














Needless to say, they didn't last long.
Then we opened our traditional Christmas Eve gift of pajamas and settled in for a movie.



Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Piano-versary



Madisyn has now been taking piano lessons for a year! Where has the time gone? I have to say she is much better than she was last year and improving all the time. In the last year she has played several specials at church and participated in two recitals. I'm very proud of my little lady. :)

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Socialization

I *borrowed* this from my friend Christy.


What about socialization? (from another angle)

Two women meet at a playground, where their children are swinging and playing ball. The women are sitting on a bench watching. Eventually, they begin to talk.

W1: Hi. My name is Maggie. My kids are the three in red shirts -- helps me keep track of them.

W2: (Smiles) I'm Terri. Mine are in the pink and yellow shirts. Do you come here a lot?

W1: Usually two or three times a week, after we go to the library.

W2: Wow. Where do you find the time?

W1: We home school, so we do it during the day most of the time.

W2: Some of my neighbors homeschool, but I send my kids to public school.

W1: How do you do it?

W2: It's not easy. I go to all the PTO meetings and work with the kids every day after school and stay real involved.

W1: But what about socialization? Aren't you worried about them being cooped up all day with kids their own ages, never getting the opportunity for natural relationships?

W2: Well, yes. But I work hard to balance that. They have some friends who are homeschooled, and we visit their grandparents almost every month.

W1: Sounds like you're a very dedicated mom. But don't you worry about all the opportunities they're missing out on? I mean they're so isolated from real life -- how will they know what the world is like -- what people do to make a living -- how to get along with all different kinds of people?

W2: Oh, we discussed that at PTO, and we started a fund to bring real people into the classrooms. Last month, we had a policeman and a doctor come in to talk to every class. And next month, we're having a woman from Japan and a man from Kenya come to speak.

W1: Oh, we met a man from Japan in the grocery store the other week, and he got to talking about his childhood in Tokyo. My kids were absolutely fascinated. We invited him to dinner and got to meet his wife and their three children.

W2: That's nice. Hmm. Maybe we should plan some Japanese food for the lunchroom on Multicultural Day.

W1: Maybe your Japanese guest could eat with the children.

W2: Oh, no. She's on a very tight schedule. She has two other schools to visit that day. It's a system-wide thing we're doing.W1: Oh, I'm sorry. Well, maybe you'll meet someone interesting in the grocery store sometime and you'll end up having them over for dinner.

W2: I don't think so. I never talk to people in the store -- certainly not people who might not even speak my language. What if that Japanese man hadn't spoken English?

W1: To tell you the truth, I never had time to think about it. Before I even saw him, my six-year-old had asked him what he was going to do with all the oranges he was buying.

W2: Your child talks to strangers?

W1: I was right there with him. He knows that as long as he's with me, he can talk to anyone he wishes.

W2: But you're developing dangerous habits in him. My children never talk to strangers.

W1: Not even when they're with you?

W2: They're never with me, except at home after school. So you see why it's so important for them to understand that talking to strangers is a big no-no.

W1: Yes, I do. But if they were with you, they could get to meet interesting people and still be safe. They'd get a taste of the real world, inreal settings. They'd also get a real feel for how to tell when a situation is dangerous or suspicious.

W2: They'll get that in the third and fifth grades in their health courses.

W1: Well, I can tell you're a very caring mom. Let me give you my number--if you ever want to talk, give me call. It was good to meet you.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Fly on the Wall

Last night Madisyn was showing Kent her history notebook. Back in the fall she made a tri-corner hat when we were studying about George Washington, Ben Franklin, etc. She showed it to Kent and said that it was a hat like George Washington had. She told him it was a George Washington hat. Kent asked her what color his was (Madisyn's was white). She told him that George Washington's hat was blue "so it would match his suit".

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Construction Crew

You know you've been without TV service for a while when your children are super excited about going to see a septic tank put in. HAHA

Seriously, they donned their warmest clothing and we headed to Nana's for the next big step towards completion of the house. (and we really don't miss the TV ;) )

Ben wrestled with this level for some time before anyone realized he really shouldn't have it. He was trying to get it in the bed of Uncle Kirk's truck but either it wasn't quite long enough or he wasn't tall enough.
I love this pic of Henry, he was really into watching the excavator put the dirt back. He squealed and kept trying to inch his way further and further out of the window.
There was extreme disappointment when it was time to head home. I think they watched for close to 3 hours (tank setting and covering). If any project involves big machines, our kiddos are right in the middle of it.
Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Richardson Christmas

The whole crew. Boy! Our family is growing.

We had our family Christmas the weekend before the big day (we decided this year to pick a time for every Christmas from here on out, no more trying to figure out when to have it and I'm sooooooooooooooooooooo glad.) . It was a beautiful day and we had a great time.
Madisyn decided Raegen needed help opening his gifts and I think he took a little offense to that. LOL He might be a *baby* as far as she's concerned but he's about to be a big brother. :)

This is what Henry looked like for most of the day. I was looking back through old blog posts and discovered that I used to brag about how content and laid back Ben was. I sure hope Henry stays this way. HA!


I thought this was a funny picture. You think we like to preserve memories around here? What you can't see is Billy and Justin using their camcorders.

I loved this shot because everyone knows that once you become a parent/grandparent, you can't do anything without help. Four of Mimi's grandchildren thought she needed some assistance. LOL

Henry was a great little gift. I think he enjoyed the bow more than anything!

The girls. Madisyn is so excited to have a little girl to love on.