Holding the World in a Paper Cup

Archive for June 2011

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Mama Reworks It!: Chalkboard Lap Desk

Over the past year, I've been treating Banana Fana Bo Bana's little friends' birthdays like challenges. I am usually most creative when there is a need to fill. Living temporarily without a house of my own to organize and decorate, birthday gifts are a great creative outlet for me.

This present was for a girl, who was turning 5. Her mother is a former teacher, whom I know always makes learning fun for her kids.

I imagined them practicing numbers and letters on this chalkboard.

And the best part about it is, it's also a lap desk!

I bought an old frame and painted it yellow about 6 or 11 times.
I painted tempered hardboard with chalkboard paint that I mixed myself, and secured it in place with the preexisting frame backing.

Then, I took another piece of tempered hardboard and glued foam to the back, wrapped a piece of fabric around it, and stapled it in place. I used gorilla glue to secure the whole thing onto the back of the frame.

It was very well received.

Banana Fana Bo Bana helped a lot.

I let her use the electric staple gun and gorilla glue.

I'm teaching her early that it isn't about the money you spend.

It's truly the thought that counts.

Join us Saturdays at tatertotsandjello.com for the weekend wrap
up party!

9 Comments

REVISION: Childproofing Kids' Necklaces

Regarding childproofing your kids' necklaces with hot glue....
After another testing phase brought on by my obsessive compulsive disorder, I found that some necklaces do not breakaway easily after hot gluing. I believe it solely depends on what type of material you are adhering the hot glue to, as some seem to hold onto the hot glue tighter than others. I have taken my childproofing kids' necklaces post down, since I no longer think this is a great idea. Guess I'll have to learn to attach clasps.

3 Comments

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

The Daddy Files

There's a reason why God gave a kid two parents.

(other than the obvious)

One parent simply does not have all the answers.

I just recently realized that's ok.

I don't have to have all the answers.

Charley's got a Daddy.

A pretty smart one in fact.

So, whenever she asks me questions that I don't have the answers to

(or don't feel like googling)

I write them down on whatever piece of scrap paper I can find.

Then, after we get a few (100), we call Daddy.
It helps us stay connected and helps me stay sane.

4 Comments

Monday, June 27, 2011

Things that crack me up...

This is the reaction she had when I told her she'd been to Texas.

5 Comments

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Libraries are cool.

Both the Rainbow City and Gadsden libraries are doing awesome things this summer.

So far, we've seen a wildlife specialist, a magician, a musician, a face painter and storyteller,

a drummer, and a Native American.

Much to learn, much to learn....

Recently, I decided to give myself a photography break during these library visits.

I'm tired of taking 100,000 photos per week.

(I'm still going to take around 50,000.)

5 Comments

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Mama Reworks It: Thrifted for the House

I love old ceramic, figurines like this.

But oftentimes the colors are just awful....

And there are imperfections...

And then sometimes there are small children,

who think they are animals,

who love the colors and the imperfections just as they are.

And they stand between you and your projects.

But mother knows best.

Amazing what a little paint will do.

3 Comments

Friday, June 24, 2011

Hot Dog

This seemed like the perfect spot to stick this dog grooming photo shoot.

What is the perfect activity for a girl, a dog, and their mom, during the dog days of spring?

(besides swimming)

Giving the hot dog a hair cut!

Have I mentioned that I am kind of a DIY kind of person?

Yeah, I don't believe in professional grooming sesh's for my dog.

I don't allow myself the luxury, so why should the dog get to go? Right?

I groomed Jimmi's (my indoor dwelling Maltese) hair for 13 years.

My Friend is a bit of a ragamuffin on a good day,

so a little nick here and there actually suits him.

Thankfully, I have a helper who is REALLY into it for about the first HOUR. (It takes a WHILE).

I have a dog who is really cool with it.

And yes, I do have something other than child sized

safety scissors to cut through his thick dog wool.

Here's where I have to groom his belly (and other) parts.

Like I said, he's pretty laid back about the whole process.

6 Comments

Thursday, June 23, 2011

The Dog Days of Spring

Summer officially began 2 days ago, but in all fairness, this post began 2 weeks ago.

Since I did my best to describe what living at 30 below (and then some) feels like, I'll try to explain what it's like to live with this Alabama heat.

The air is heavy. It's heavy with moisture.

You can feel the air.

You can FEEL the invisible, stagnant air floating in the seemingly empty space all around you.

When it is really hot and humid, you are aware of every. breath.

To me, it's like breathing through a piece of cheesecloth.

When it "feels like" 103 degrees outside, even person who's normally adamant about having the windows down (me), rolls the windows up and blasts the air. And most of the time, it's so hot, the air conditioning can't work hard enough to cool the car before we've reached our destination.

Sweat pours down your back while you walk from the house to the car. (at 9:00 a.m.)

Seatbelts scorch. God forbid you let the buckle touch your child's skin after the car has been in the Wal-mart parking lot an hour or two. It'd be like that awful scene in Indiana Jones (see below) except it'd be on your kid's inner thigh.

I've learned that if I can't find any shade, that I should put a towel down over the Youngin's car seat. Even fabric gets hot enough to char in this heat.

When I get into the car, the FIRST thing I do is reach in and crank it up.

(Notice, I don't actually get IN until the air is circulating.)

Lotions or sunscreens left in the car should be shaken before use

to minimize the chances of scarring during application.

Crayons melt into a gooey mess in the seat of your car if left unattended.

(I speak from recent experience.)

Lipsticks are done for if left in a parked car.

(Though the heat does a tube a crusty mascara good.)

The heat radiates off of the asphalt so thick you can see it coming off the ground.

Water from hosepipes left stretched in the sun, will literally burn your skin.

Worms that don't seek shelter as soon as the rain stops, bake into the concrete.

Dogs spend most of their time under porches in shallow, cavities of cool, red dirt.

You take afternoons walks and seriously wonder if you can make it back.

You imagine dragging your limp body across the asphalt and into the driveway of your home.

During the heat of the summer, it's just too hot to be outside for any length of time unless you are wet. A lot of people around here, see fit to join a local pool.

Notice I didn't say a local, public pool.

The price tag for joining the local pool for the summer, is around $500 or $600 and A LOT of people don't blink twice about the price, because to them, it is well worth it.

Lucky for us we have a very generous neighbor who is willing to tune out

the screams and laughter of little girls splashing in his pool.

But, it is what it is, and the heat and humidity feel like home to me.

I live in the land where, when canned or bottled beverages are left in hot cars for too long,

they explode and SHOOT like rockets.

True story:

Once my Dad was getting some rocks off of a mountainside. (He's been getting rocks off of mountainsides for most of my life. He uses them for rip rap and to build walls and chimneys and such around his house.) And, let's just say for the sake of the story.....this mountainside didn't belong to him. So, when he had his last load of rocks piled into the truck he set out through a field headed back to the road.

About that time, a bottle of "RC" exploded from behind the truck seat.

Only at the time, he didn't know it was a bottle of RC cola.

"Glass went everywhere."

Dad ducked and gunned it through that field of tall grass thinking he was under attack.

2 Comments

An Old Fishing Boat and Some Bait

The first time I ever got in this boat, it caught on fire.

We had to bail.

While Dad furiously scooped handfuls of water and threw it onto the engine,

me and Mom waded to the bank.

It was quite the scene.

A scene I love thinking back on and retelling.

Dad has worked on this boat more than he has ridden in it.

But isn't that usually the story with boats?

Well, with boats and mechanical guys like my Dad?

Prior, to our boat excursion, Little Bocephus caught the bait for the big, striped bass we hoped to catch from the boat.

The only problem with this was, she didn't know she was catching the bait.

I didn't know either or else I would have discouraged her from catching a whole "family" of fish complete with a "Mama," "Daddy," and "babies."

In the end, the "babies" did get to live.

They're orphans now, but hey, whatcha gonna do?

Little Bocephus fished for an unbelievably, long time. She'd been after me to take her fishing, since her Daddy has been away. And as much as it pains me to admit it, I haven't got the foggiest clue about which lure to match with which hook, or which reel in the Big Mama's boat house actually reels (I'd probably have about a 30% chance of grabbing a functioning model), or whether to slowly reel or bob it up and down...and, well you get the idea. I know more about tying a knot on a needle than a knot on a fish hook and that's not saying much.

SO, I said all that to say, the time spent fishing under the guidance (and baiting, and broken bobber replacing, and reel repairing), of Paw Paw was much appreciated.

And cherished.

2 Comments

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Different Day, Different Boat

It's great having friends and family that love the river as much as we do.

2 Comments

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

I thrifted it.

Once, I got some teal, hoop earrings from the thrift store. (exciting stuff, I know)

I soaked them in alcohol. (it's getting better, see?)

Unfortunately, I soaked them long enough for the paint melt off.

(that was the big finale)

It was a hard, hard day.

But I'm over it 'cause...

I found some more teal, hoop earrings!

Riveting stuff.

But wouldn't a man post his trophy hunting photos?

(yes, he would)

Well, this is my trophy hunting photo.

(with the mean, tough face and all)

5 Comments

More River Fun

Cousins

That's my nephew. I still cannot BELIEVE he let me take his photograph.

The guy on the right is the boat's doctor (and my brother-in-law).

This boat needs A LOT of doctoring.

Big Mama

We were there too!

Mamas have to take their own pictures.

3 Comments

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Giving in Moderation

And while we're talking about birthdays.....my Dad had one recently.

(I know. I let my original posting plan get all out of whack and my segway is ruined.)

He insisted that we shouldn't buy him anything.

When my Dad says that, I think he actually means it.

In fact, he said, we should ONLY get him a card and that we should make it.

I think it makes him feel funny to take something from someone he spent his whole life worrying about giving to. Not to say I don't ever buy him anything, but since he shares his birthday month with Father's Day, I figured it would be best to give in moderation. So, Sugar Muffin and I made a trip to the kitchen instead of the store.