Flashback Friday

It's been awhile since I did a flashback Friday, so one is overdue. I came across these pictures the other day. Little {L} is about a month or two older than Baby {J} is right now. SO SO SO very different boys! While Mr. Binks is just working on standing alone right now, Little {L} was running through the house, chaos and messes following him wherever he ran.

I love that his shirt says "I do my own stunts". You can't plan stuff like that. The kid is fearless... since birth!

Flashback Friday

It's Friday-hooray! This picture was taken about two hours after I arrived at my college dorm. My little brother, really was "little" at the time. It's been a rough week for him, and I've really been missing having him close by. I'd love to have hugged him about 40 times this week, but he's over two hours away. [boo!]

I was all smiles while moving into my room and saying good-bye to my family. I was actually THRILLED to be on my own! I was in art school- I'd made it! I couldn't have been happier... until that night. I was suddenly so sad and felt so alone. I was grown, but so much a little child at the same time. I had never really been away from my family before. I'd never attended summer camp, or traveled. It was always us, and suddenly that became just "me". Scary!

I look at this picture and feel such conflicting views. On one hand, I look at the young me and think, You were SO young! I barely remember being that young. Then I think about college and it feels like it was yesterday that we were hanging out, going to parties, and just spending time learning who I was [or wasn't]. It's hard to imagine 11 years has passed since this picture was taken-this spring I will be 30 years old. 30 y-e-a-r-s old! When this picture was taken, the 18 year old me thought I'd never be 30-I'd never be "THAT" old. Ohh how time changes!

Flashback Friday

Remember these? I was so excited when I finished this outfit for Little {L}! [Miss {M} had a dress in coordinating fabrics too-pure love]. They were some of my favorite outfits! I love the texture & use of color in Eric Carle's books. In my own artwork, I work often with many intricate textures and I love bright, vibrant color!

So fast forward [yes, you get a flashback and a flash forward this week-no your not watching Lost] to this week, and new little baby is getting to wear them. Let me tell you, Baby {J} is HUGE! He is 2 months old and wearing a size 12months! He's long and a bit round and we find him just perfect! When {L} wore these, he was standing and on the verge of independent walking. Baby {J} can't hold a toy or roll over and they are already on him. It's fun to look back and see how different, but also the same each of my kids have been.

Flashback Friday

This is right about the time every year that I start lusting for Fall. When it's 100 degree's and the sun is beating down on me, I think, fall is so so lovely! So for Flashback Friday this week, I'm thinking of fall. We take a trip each year to Reznik's pumpkin patch in southern Ohio. They have as many pumpkins as you can carry for a set price. Each year the kids try and get their Daddy to carry more than the year before. [Pretty soon his arms are going to break on a trip-haha]

This was Little {L}'s first year to the patch. He enjoyed chewing on pumpkin vines most of all [yeah, gross!]. We've been going since {D} & {M} were babies. It's on the the fall activities that I look forward to most of all. Just a fun day hanging out at the farm. They always have some bluegrass band playing, scarecrow making booth, lots of yummy goodies in their shop also.

So I'm ready for you, Fall! Bring it on.

Flashback Friday

This flashback is from 2009. My little brother[ he's 10 years younger] came to visit with his girlfriend. They were trying to surprise us, but he couldn't remember which house was mine. They live back home in Cleveland, so they don't get to come over often. He called while on my street asking some weird question about the house. I didn't answer him "correctly" and he finally told me what they were doing. It was a nice surprise and the kids were super excited to see them!

We decided to spend the day at the zoo. Sounds fun, right? For everyone except my little brother that is! I totally forgot that he hates going to the zoo, and always has. It's weird cause he loves animals...just no zoo, something about the walking and sun! It ended up being a really fun day though! My favorite part was the bigger kids and my brother posing in their best gopher faces-with Uncle also holding up Miss {M} so we could actually see her! I LOVE my baby brother-I sure miss him!

Flasback Friday

This flashback Friday is from 2008. Yesterday was my little sisters birthday-Happy Birthday Tina!

This was the year my niece was born. My sister had asked me to be with her for her for the delivery. I was really excited, the only hitch was our location. We live 2+ hours away on a day with no traffic [or potty breaks for kids]. I was also nursing, so needed my husband to come along so he could watch our three children, and shuttle Little{L} back and forth to the hospital to eat. [He never, ever drank from a bottle. We tried for a while and finally acknowledged it wasn't in the cards for him].

We ended up making it to the hospital in time, and I was really lucky to be present when my niece arrived in this world! The top picture was taken about a week later. We were back in our hometown for Christmas. Miss {M} was so thrilled to have a girl in the family! Mr. {D} loves all babies and couldn't get enough snuggle time with his new niece. It was pretty cool!

The second picture is from the same year, on Christmas morning. I had made Miss {M} a doll from my old clothes. It actually turned out to be a horribly ugly doll! It was a last minute, I need to make one more thing project the night before we opened gifts. All that aside, she LOVED that doll the moment she laid eye son it! It was her favorite gift that year and carried it everywhere. I just love this shot I snapped right as she opened the package! So sweet, and a great memory for me!

Flashback Friday

This flashback Friday takes us to 2008-not so far in the past, but it sure feels like yesterday! Mr. {D} [with the help of his Daddy] decided he NEEDED tattoo's.

I love when the kids are sporting little fake tattoo's. I only have one, and wish my husband would wake up one day and decide he needs several. [I like tattoo's and managed to marry the only guy in our old high school crew without a tattoo. Actually everyone else is working on sleeves+ at this point. Haha!]

I remember Mr. {D} mentioning something about tattoo's and saying "MMMMhhhhmm, whatever baby". A few minutes later he comes back with his entire chest covered! It was so fun, I LOVE IT, was all I could say laughing! We had several weeks to annoy the grandparents with that one! [His mohawk is the current disdain for them]

This other picture is of Little {L} and Daddy. I made that skull outfit special for him. That child was forever in skulls & flames. The funny thing is how much it matches his personality. He grew from that smiling, little, sweet baby into a bad-ass toddler. He's one tough kid!

Baby Unicorn fits into the same outfit right now. He's worn it once, but it just seems wrong on him. He's going to be the sweet boy in the family-he's just so laid back, calm and well...sweet! Funny how different their personalities are even when they are tiny little creatures. He'll still be tough though, he has to be to keep up with Little {L}.

Flashback Friday

Meet Mr. Caterpillar! He's an old friend at our house. When Little {L} was a baby, he didn't play with toys-pretty much ever! There were many days that I begged an pleaded for him to "just play-please". He was way more interested in walking, running, climbing and mischief. The ONE toy that he actually showed interest in was this cute, little caterpillar pull toy. He dragged this thing through the entire house over & over again, peeking over his shoulder and giggling as he saw it following him.

I've been collecting the "baby" toys lately since we'll soon have another one to play with the younger toys. Little {L} found this in the pile and quickly retrieved it, reminding me it was {L}'s, NOT baby's! It still holds the same giggle power. I can't wait to see if Baby Unicorn loves this toy also...well honestly I'm just hoping for another child who plays with toys!

Flashback Friday

This flashback Friday takes me to my freshman year of college. I was living in the dorm at Columbus College of Art & Design. I was so nervous about having to live with well... people. Girls I didn't know. What if they were mean girls? What if I couldn't sleep at night? What if I hated them, or worse yet, they hated me?

From the moment I met Mary, my roommate, those fears were put to rest! She was fun and had a happy energy about her that i had never seen. Growing up in Cleveland, I have to say optimism is almost a four letter word. I loved living with her and we had the best times together. Sadly about seven-eight years ago we fell out of touch after a silly argument. I always wondered if she had moved back to Texas [her home state], was married, or ever had children.

I credit Mary to being the person who taught me "how" to mother! She took care of me when I was sick, brought me breakfast from the cafeteria knowing I never, ever woke up in time to eat otherwise, and listened whenever I needed to talk. She was a great person and taught me lots about compassion & friendship. I actually called her "Mama Mary".

The picture on the right was taken after we were living in the dorm for a few months. It's been on my fridge all these years. I am 18 years old there-crazy young! I thought I knew it all, boy was I naive!

I had just recently given up thinking I would ever run into Mary, or find her online. After looking for so long, I figured it wasn't ever going to happen. Last Wednesday I am sitting in the local Whole Foods for kids club night. I get all my kids situated, and look up to see... Mary sitting directly in front of me! Craziest thing! She married the man she was dating when we lived together [I introduced them] and has two gorgeous little daughters with the blondest hair I have ever seen.

Moral of the story: never say never.