Oh Christmas Tree, oh Christmas tree

This is a picture of our tree, with Imogen in front of it.

Of course, Nich wasn't really taking a picture of the tree. I made him take a picture of Imogen because she if finally wearing the red tutu that I HAD to get to go with the cutest hat. Yes, I had one of those moments when shopping the outlets with my mom. We've all had them (I hope!) when we want our kids to wear something and they totally have no desire to. Well, I have tried to get her to wear this thing for a couple of months to no avail. This night, we were going  out with Noni and Opa for Nich's birthday and I really wanted her to wear it. So I forced it on her, put it on even with the kicking and screaming. She had some tears and she went to her happy place and then she was over it! Yeah, I had one of those moments and I wanted documentation

See, she is even smiling! Can you see the sparkly silver shoes that match the shirt. Too darn cute.












So that is our Christmas tree. Even though it has been a week and we haven't finished decorating it. In this week I have been following Imogen around while she takes all the ornaments off the lower level and stashes them around the house. If I took a picture of the tree now it would look very top heavy!

This is a closeup of Imogen in the aformentioned hat. Cute isn't it?

Imogen was showing off her tongue. Tess taught her! (Can you tell that daddy was recording? I edited out the guitar and headphones but couldn't get rid of the snowball.

So my mom rocks!

Merry early Christmas, birthday, anniversary, etc. to me!

I have been looking at sewing machines for a couple of months. I inherited a Kenmore 1300 series from my mom. It was a workhorse and has treated me great through the years...I have sewn a million baby blankets on it and it never gave me grief. But, it only sews straight lines or at most, zig zags.  It's biggest shortfall was it doesn't have a "walking foot" attachment which is key to holding a slippery moving quilt in place. So, I have a line of projects that have been started but not finished because of these limitations.

I checked out a couple of different brands on-line and then went to a couple of stores and tried a few. I'll not bore you with the details, and just summarize that I fell in love with Pfaff. Other than the requisite jokes between Nich and I about the name and a similarly named bank that has gone out of business, it is a dream machine! Sleek, computerized but not overly so, tons of different stitches AND a built in walking foot! Yeah! Totally way more expensive than I could ever think of spending on a machine. In fact, all the machines were way more than I expected. I mean, I could go to Costco and pick up a sewing machine for $200 bucks, but EVERY review of them said it was a piece of junk and every quilt shop I went into said they can't be worked on. So, it would be like throwing away money. I was scheming in my head how I could get the money (why can't I be a boy and sell my sperm? Oh, I could sell my eggs but I think I am too old for that now!)

So, over the Thanksgiving weekend, I went to AAA Sewing and Vacumn in Torrance. They had a special price with trade-in on Pfaff. The same entry level machine I was looking at was $300 dollars cheaper than the other dealer I went to and they would take mine as a trade-in! This is where my mom comes into play. She rocks, have  I mentioned? She knows that I will spend a ton of hours in front of the machine and make tons of money or at least save a ton of money by sewing my own things. So, she offered to buy it! I can't tell you how excited I am.

This is me sewing my first project on it! A baby playmat that I have been putting off because of the minky (super soft slippery material) that is the backing. This machine had no problem sewing on it!





Thank you mom for pushing me forward and believing in me. Don't be suprised if you get something handmade for a few presents! Love you xoxooxoxo

I forgot the best part of the machine, at least for Imogen:

She totally played in the lid for hours. What is that about buying you kids all sorts of toys and all they want are the boxes? So true!

Just Because

I guess I started this blog thinking I had something to say. But I don't think I always do. I think I just want to share some moments that get forgotten or that should be celebrated before they disappear. Plus they make me smile and I want to have something to document in my own way the passage of time.

So here are  some photos I snapped of Imogen playing around on our bed. I wish we had a video camera (I know that Nich has been talking about the Flip and Christmas is just around the corner...) But anyway, I wish I had recorded Imogen's laughter. That is truly the best sound in the whole wide world and makes my heart burst into confetti.

She has just flopped down on the bed after one of her patented dance moves that involve lifting one leg, bouncing and then falling on her butt. I'm telling you, she's got the groove.

I know this photo is blurry and whatnot, but that is just the reason I love it. She is so full of life and movement that I wanted to capture that. And she is holding for dear life to my phone. Always with the phone.

This is my favorite photo at the moment. She is mimicking me taking her picture and saying "cheese" while the daddy monster takes a break.

She can almost do a somersault.

In case you didn't know, we live right by the airport. We look out our bedroom window and watch the planes take off across the street. She is pointing at the window because a plane has just taken off. She always asks, "What's that?" or "Where it go?" with a shoulder shrug.





Sometimes it is the little moments.

Emergency Room

Okay, wasn't the day I was expecting yesterday. The in-laws are in town for Nich's show at Brennan's. DeeDee cooked an early Thanksgiving meal complete with mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce and for the girls (because the boys are weird and don't like them) a bowlful of black olives. Tess was going to watch Imogen and it was going to be all good.

Everything was just coming out of the oven when Imogen decides to take a header into the pub table chair support rail. Face first, holding a glass (that thankfully did not break) without any attempt to break her fall. Pick her up and she is covered in blood! HOLY SHIT!

People I want in an emergency: My husband Nich. Super calm, brave face for the little one, logically thinking of what we should do.

People I don't want in an emergency: DeeDee. Burst into tears, starts babbling "oh my god, oh my god" and freaking the baby out.



So we calm her down (Imogen, not DeeDee), apply pressure with some guaze we had  and decide the cut isn't that bad. (humur me, I don't want it to be that bad, so it isn't, right?) Then Nich, Ken and I pile into the car with Imogen and head off to Rite Aid to get some butterfly bandages and more gauze and all that good stuff to make her better. I of course wait in the car because who wants to be the lady carrying a blood soaked toddler into Rite Aid with a huge gash near her eye? Not me. Should have told me right there it was bad enough, right?

Drive home, Nich cleans the wound, attempts to apply butterfly bandages, decide, okay, maybe it is deeper than we thought. It won't stop bleeding, she is taking off the bandage as soon as we put it on, so fuck it, lets go to the emergency room.

Ken follows in his car because Nich does have a show that he is hopefully going to make after this drama goes down. Head to beautiful Marina Del Rey and walk into a totally empty emergency waiting room! With fishes for Imo to watch. By this time, she is running around the waiting room, refusing to be calm and act injured (which we were hoping she would be wailing so that we would be seen faster, but she wasn't going that route!). They take us to a room, tell us our MediCal isn't current (oh, this is going to be a fun Monday trying to get that straightened out!) and we wait. and wait. and wait. I wish that I had taken a picture of the "baby jail" they put us in. Imo was like a monkey on it, totally climbing (no, I have no idea how she got the cut on her head!) and raising a rucus. Now, I only tell you this because there is a crouchety ol lady in the next room who yells out every 5 minutes, "help, I need to go to the bathroom." or "help, I need to get out of bed" or "help, help help." Well, Imogen decides to copy her whenever she says "help" until the ol croutchey grouch says, "shut up little girl!" OMG

 This was the cutest dress. Now it is cut up the back and blood soaked. Guess it would be pretty morbid to hold on to it.






After 3 hours, the doctor comes in, determines that she needs 3 stitches and we move rooms so that Imo can be put into a baby papoose. For all those people out there that have no idea what this is, ignorance is bliss. For everyone else, this wonderfully useful torture device scared the crap out of everyone in the room except Imogen. They swaddle her up in a sheet, strap her in, nurse holds her head, doctor covers her face with a sterile sheet and then the worst part of parenting begins. I never ever want to look into one of my daughter's eye while a doctor is sticking a fish hook in the other one. 20 minutes of complete balls out crying, struggling and us adults keeping our cool and Imogen has 4 lovely stitches in her face. She promptly goes to sleep on my shoulder and we make it home in time for Nich's show. I stay home with Imogen because all I want to do at this point is cuddle her and make sure she knows that we love her still.

 

 After the stitches. Originally the doctor thought 3, then re-evaluated. Then, one of the ones she put in wasn't straight enough so she had to re-do. Poor girl!



This morning, she is bouncing around on grandpa's bed and to look at her you would think nothing traumatic just happened to her. Oh, the resiliency of the child's mind. Now if only Nich and I can forget.

The offending chair. She fell on the support rail at the bottom and must have caught it just right. Nich and Ken both wanted to throw them out the window last night!

"Real" Halloween

Halloween 2009-Fun business

Imogen went as a skeleton. Kind of a cat burglar skeleton, I guess. Putting on her makeup was hilarious. She made faces at herself the entire time. Even kissed the shower door and left an impression of all of dad's hard work. Not to mention smearing it with her hand and then wiping her hand on her costume.

Dad's finished handy work

















Great memories will include:

Dancing so hard with Noni at the Frolic her diaper came off.

Giving trick or treating a valiant effort and realizing she just wasn't into it. Probably next year. However, she had no problem sneaking tootsie rolls directly from the source. I am surprised the VonFlues had any left to give out!

The live spooky music (courtsey of Hangdog) on the front lawn.

Best costume goes to Maxwell. Kudos to Brandi for making it. Absolute genius.

Stella wins best costume choices. This is one of the three costumes changes she came equipped with. (Cowboy hat already a casuality) Not pictured are the classic hotdog costume and the pharoh dog.

Skeleton and Scream. Imogen is never happier than with Seth!

Group shot of some of the kids before they scattered their separate ways. I wish you could see the hot pants on the Pink Ladies...

Dawn: The fabulously spooky hostess of the evening.

First Halloween this year...

I have never been one to get into the spirit of Halloween. I don't know why, it just was never one of my favorite holidays. Maybe because I could never decide on a costume and when I did finally decide, it was usually the night before and I just picked out whatever was in my parents closet.

But with Imogen, we already have 3 costumes! The first is a Tinker Bell costume  handed down from her good friend Lily. She threw an amazing fit when I tried getting it on her but as soon as the cameras started up, she was somehow alright with it. Grandma and Grandpa were down and helped me take her to the Richmond School Fall Festival. Holy cow, was there a lot of kids there! Tess and her friends were manning the face painting booth and Imogen actually stayed still long enough for Tess to paint a glittery butterfly on her cheek. We also got a "tattoo" butterfly on her leg that absolutely fascinated Imo. Good times. Here are some photos of the little girl and hopefully we will get some more when Halloween rolls around next week. She is going as a skeleton (glow in the dark PJ's-so cool).

So this is her attempting her fast break down the stairs. I guess someone told her fairies could fly!

Sweet Tinker!

 Trying to climb over the fence to get to the Airplanes. Look at the determination on her face (not to mention the oh so fairy appropriate shoes on her feet. Can't get her to wear anything else!)

Daddy and his little girl.

My first time

Welcome to my first attempt at Blogging.

While Nich has photography to capture Imogen's quick growth, I will try and share those little ephemeral moments that make me smile, cry and pull my hair out!

Like visiting Stone Breweries the other day with Nich, mom and Imogen. This is probably my favorite place to eat when we come down to San Diego. Not only is the food amazingly fresh and delicious, the beer awesome, the architecture and design is my favorite. On top of that, the gardens just transport you! If you get a chance, check it out. It is worth the trip for sure.
We caught a few great shots of Imogen wandering around and strutting her stuff.

 Hand on her hip and everything!

Can't you just hear her saying "mom, will you just take the photo already!" (A side note, I actually was able to take some photos of her because Nich was playing with his Lubbitel so I wielded his digital)

Swaying to her own music. And look at the smirk. Boy are we going to be in trouble!

This was Imogen trying to smell the flowers. Shortly after, she "smelled" them with her hands and squished them.

Well, I am sure that if I continue to blog that maybe I will spend less time on the dreaded Facebook!

I hope to post some images of the sewing projects I am working on. Because of course, you can't just work one project at a time. My poor kitchen table!
Have a great day!