the greats

my grandparents are staying with us a few days.  on friday we went to every yard sale in town.  almost.  grandma bought habbers this new dress.

i bought grandma a gel manicure.  she let me pick the color.  (but that was before she found out it doesn’t come off.)

and grandpa bought jale a $15 sewing machine.  real enough to work.  cheap enough to break.  the first thing she did was sit down and sew herself a pillow case.

in her princess dress, pearls, and fairy wings.  of course.

she makes a nice straight stitch too.

i gave her some material and she sat down and ran through a whole bobbin.  she can work the presser foot and drive, neat as a whistle.

of course, grandpa still has to thread the needle.  what are grandpa’s for?

and judith likes having even more people around who love her.  that or she just likes to be carried.  particularly by people with handles.

spooooooooiled.

grandma doesn’t believe that babies should ever cry.

baby agrees.

riding herd

i babysat for a friend last week.  a friend with girls.  and not just any girls, red headed girls.  at one point i clocked the women folk at 10.  the boys were sadly outnumbered with only 3.

it was a riot.  i believe i woke up sore the next day.

but children love riots.

especially when you add sticky and fire.  then everyone is happy.

isn’t daddy a saint?

rahab and her somewhat leery friend.  maybe if habbers didn’t trash talk her guests after windmilling them she’d get farther when it comes to winning friends and influencing people.

and if you must know, i’m rather infamous for my backyard.  it is, and always has been, an absolute pile.  literally.  and the kids love it.  i just thank the lord i have a privacy fence and then don’t go back there.

my number one son.  on his way to practice that evening he was soliciting the girls to see if any of them knew how to tie shoes.  which was making me bust up.  i’ll be teasing him about that well into his twenties.

“she seems like a nice girl, son.  but can she tie shoes?”

company

we just finished a lovely evening with the mccullys.  daddy boy made heaps and piles of indian food.

and i ate it all.  seriously, last man standing.  afterwards we ate chocolate cake and ice cream and chatted while the children went feral.  (don’t ever let me babysit.  i can’t be trusted.)

the pirate baby.  so christened on the day of her birth by mike himself.  “rahab?  isn’t that like a pirate name?”  actually, it means “sea dragon,” so close enough.  and lesson learned.

the cook.  i don’t know how much longer i can get him to keep the beard.  he says it’s going to get caught in his pursik and rip his face off.  but mommy don’t care.  it’s hot.

and that’s that.  just sitting here downloading the 300 pictures off my camera before going to bed.  let’s just say we have a bit of a backlog.  watch out.  *m

the black walnut

my brother and i just finished putting together his little etsy shop.  freshly stocked and ready to go.  i was going to let you in on the good stuff before someone else got it.

for instance, check out this bird’s eye maple baby rattle.  it’s absolutely lovely.  the perfect shower gift as well as a keepsake that will last a lifetime.  i’m commissioning them for all of my shower gifts herewith.  (which means, if your name is becca, mackenzie, or amy jo, you’d better pick now and i’ll save it for you.)

but this one is really my favorite.  it is one of the small rattles.  perfect for a little baby hand.  there is something about the weight, color, and sculpture of this one that makes it a complete delight.  like candy.  i love it.   it just sets in the palm of your hand.  and right, now that you mention it, i think i should keep it.

he’s also been turning out bracelets.  prices aren’t quite settled yet, but i think these are around $5.  i wear mine with everything.

and he turns out dandy tops.  he sent us a whole variety for chirstmas and i keep them out on the coffee table for guests.  they’re like mini-masterpieces in different shapes and kinds of woods.  i always like to keep something for busy little hands in the living room.  things that don’t look ugly when spread about.  buy a pile.

he even tried his hand at a maraca.  for the more enthusiastic babies.

anyways, now you know.  happy shopping.

five

someone had a birthday.

we had a tea party.  i think we’ll always do a tea party.  then we don’t have to deal with the requests for rainbow birthdays, or strawberry shortcake birthdays, or “swimming dog birthdays.”  seriously, one of my friends had a swimming dog birthday.  with the most amazing cake ever – of a swimming dog.  no one will ever forget it.  best birthday ever.  but i’m sticking to the tea party.  standard fare.

one of my friends even bought me a present.  because when she was buying jael a present she knew i had to have it.  and it’s true.  a biscuit tin.  the most perfect biscuit tin in the world.  i’m going to fill it with ginger snaps.  which means all i need are surprise visitors.  (hint.)

here is the boy invasion.  the thing with nice five year old girls is that they usually have brothers.  and brothers love nothing better than raiding a good tea party.

here they are packing up on reserves.

a few boys got whacked in the noggin, a hole was dug and covered with sticks to create a trap, and the fence fell over because boards were confiscated to build a fort.  a classic good time at the otto’s.

meanwhile the ladies ate in civilized fashion.  except for one.

the two princesses.

taking tea.

note the hovering baby ogre.

opening presents.

housewives with beehives.  this lady is straight out of mad men.  you should see her vintage serving ware.  dreamy.

making necklaces.

and soaking in the birthday afterglow.

we’ll see how long that holds her.  a birthday only once a year is not enough for this girl.  preposterous.  once every four years is even worse.

birthday boy

we had daddy boy’s birthday last weekend.  i think it was our third year of having an indian themed dinner with his old school friends.

boy made masala potatoes, some kind of dal, a rasam, spiced cauliflower, and hamburgers for the faint of heart.  i made kale slaw, pineapple punch for the kids, and fry bread.  while friends brought aloo gobi, spiced butternut stew, and mass quantities of christmas beer.  because that’s what mans bring to potlucks.

during this occasion it again became evident that i need a bigger kitchen.  i think i ran the dishwasher five times that day. and friends were wondering how many days it takes to clean up after feeding 27 people.  counter space had gone so incognito that i was forced to roll out my bread dough on the stovetop.  (that’s why they make them flat apparently.)

i remember i walked into the kitchen at one point to overhear the men recounting their labor stories.  let me tell you, it’s so much funnier when they do it.  ”13 grand for that kid!  and she’s due again in a month.  this time i think i’m going to plan a little family vacation to the woods…  and later i can buy myself something nice with all the money i save.”  if he lives that long, naturally.

jael and her friend had to sneak out for a fancy nancy tea party at the library.

you should see her waltz about.  fancy is definitely her language.  it’s a cruel trick god played on the world, isn’t it?  you can see it in her eyes.

as always it was a good time.  almost makes me wish he aged faster.  that or i could always host a christmas party so i don’t get lonely.  ooo…let’s.  :)

thanksgiving 2012

preaching the word.

we trekked up north to have thanksgiving with my family this year.  my mother bunked 21 in her house and 63 were clocked passing through my uncle tim’s.  just like old times.

by the ear.

playing hacky sack with a basket ball?

working hard.

not working hard.

the wood-shop.

the tree house

grandma great

steal, rob, gamble, cheat = good family fun

“your bait sucks and your boat’s ugly.”

my dad and his ornery cousins. up to their eyeballs ornery.

uncle mark

aunt sandy

uncle steve. you should see him in a mcdonald’s play land.

who took chester to the park?

bwahaha!

cousin curt. trouble has a first name.

take a picture of me will you?

jael and her pony.

baby judith makin’ the rounds.

i think that’s too short for you chester.

my favorite and only brother.

handsome hughey

making apple pie

yee-haw!

preaching the word.

me and my favorite cousins.

happier than reuben in the gun section….

p.s.  i didn’t take these photos.  must be why i’m in so many of them.

the most fun you ever had

well, at least that’s what gideon thought.

jehu wasn’t so sure.

the church had a firewood stacking party for my dad while we were there.  basically they moved the wood closer to the house so it would be more accessible.  they even brought two hydraulic splitters and did all the dirty work.

the boys helped unload the trucks.  gideon would ask me most seriously, “don’t forget to tell me when it get’s here.”  and when it arrived he would drop everything and start running to his fresh stack of firewood.  ”yay!”

mans working.  a.k.a., what mans are good for.

my dad and my mother’s brother.  (that’s where i get my looks.)

habbers eating lunch in the playhouse.

closing the door.  apparently this is her house and i’m not invited.

reuben and his tony chachere’s.  a basic food group, he takes it seriously.

dad and his two wingmen.

for lunch mom served cornbread, chili, salad, homemade pickles, baked potatoes, cake, and punch.  there was much rejoicing.

geoffrey modeling as betty crocker.

back to work, slaves!

dawny also thinks stacking firewood is her most favorite thing ever.

jael and zahara, on the other hand, have never worked a day in their lives.  and frankly, they plan on keeping it that way.  i would watch out.

thanks to everyone who came out.  you did good.  ;)

berfday!

we just got back from good ol’ deary idaho.  checking on the old man.  he was very sorry to have disappointed everyone by not being dead yet.  but really, we don’t mind.  we were also just in time for uncle reuben’s birthday.  by “just in time” i mean i was able to get someone to move the dislocated car seat off the front porch before the guests arrived.  ”but where are we going to sit?”  i don’t know, but my heart bleeds for you.  it does.

not that reuben’s guests didn’t all have their own car seats on their own front porches.  but that’s more of a personal problem.

fortunately mackenzie arrived just in time.  a redeeming influence on any party.  just look at her.  (btw, that is a baby in there.  not a burgeoning beer tire, lest you get the wrong idea.)

the first order of business was to walk back and check on the horses and the archery competition, where i was sadly terrible.

mr. duff.

and reuben, also loosing the archery competition.  take that.

jael and her grandma.

cierra.  also not winning, but looking much better while doing so.

aunt dawny bugs.  the worst babysitter ever.  ask anyone.

a very happy boy with weapon.

idgi.  yet another person making my husband ask, “what’s wrong with these people, don’t any of them wear shoes?”

mrs. miller asking clive if he thought she could do it.  clive denying even the remotest possibility.

though i’m pretty sure she could give emma a run for her money.

mother receiving instruction from at least three people.  ye of little faith.

mackenzie’s oldest girl in horse heaven.  definitely one of the lower tiers in the gratification stratosphere, but some people seem to like it.

mrs. potter.

jael on the pony.  reuben said she will have to come ride more often since she was the only one who stays on.  like a tick.

chow time.

tim!

cake!  (some people have perfect timing.)

mrs. miller in mid-stabbing motion and the schuilings.  personally, i’m just glad pumpkin pie season is here.  hooray for fall!

old (old) friends.

and we finished off the evening with tim kindly recording some songs my dad had written.  a good day all in all.

happy birthday reuben!  p.s.  don’t forget, all the ladies are expecting to see you in the birthday hot pants i got you.  the cargo pants and the unitard really don’t have the same effect.

don’t just be another taker

a song my dad wrote.  i kind of walked in on the middle of it and captured it on the fly.  next weekend we’ll try to do it proper.  hear that natalie?  get practicing.