Santa Baby

One of my little elves talked me into making sugar cookies after dinner. I made coffee because...sugar cookies are a serious time commitment and I was running on half a tank. That little elf gave up after one batch, but this little elf hung out with me. She got her first real food in the form of some frozen pureed pumpkin I roasted last month in the hopes of making something pumpkin-y for Thanksgiving. She was a big fan. 

Anywho, that coffee has me all <blink blink> at quarter to one while everybody else is off snug in their beds. SO pictures. The BX had this lil hat in my line of vision the other day. Not sure if the hat is tiny or baby girl has a big head, but I could barely squeeze the sucker over her melon. :)

Her being an August baby tracks right along with Felix's baby seasons as a September baby. I only wish I'd thought to recreate this one of baby Feefs.

Why can't they stay babies?? Just to compare and since I'm wide awake...

Titus at 4 months:

Jude at 4 months:

I don't have one of the oldest at four months because he predates my digital files. 

On that note, I'm off to take a walk down memory lane via pictures in the hopes it will send me off to dream dreams of when they were all sweet little babies. 

Right place, right time

Sean is a homebody. We have a few small people who have taken after him in that trait. I am the complete opposite of a homebody and we have a few small people that take after me in that trait. Every weekend is a bit of a battle of wills. Over the years, I've figured out if I suggest a day trip that's completely ridiculous, I can get him to agree to other slightly less ridiculous places. Today, I wasn't at the top of my game. I had a place I really wanted to go, but he caught me off guard and I spit out, "Showa Park."

Dang it.

I already went there this week. I even have plans to go back next week. I knew the leaves hadn't changed yet, but I couldn't reel it back in once he'd already said, "Hm. Okay." So off we went. The stinking (literally) leaves are still mostly green, but I got a few keepers and we got the bonus of feeling like movie stars/a freak show as so many people eyeballed our crowd of children. 

Boy, what a difference a year makes. 

As we were leaving the park, I noticed an older fella up ahead of us on the path. He was shuckin' and jivin' a bit and it seemed odd. I was about to say aloud, "Why is that old man dancing?" He kind of jerked backwards several steps before going completely stiff and slamming to the ground. The sound of his head hitting concrete is something I wish I could un-hear. True to their culture, no one freaked out. Only one family cautiously walked up to him as we rushed to his side. A small crowd soon gathered as the silly white man tried to communicate with the unconscious old Japanese fella. Thank GOD the one Japanese lady who had stopped understood enough of what Sean was saying that they could help him. 

They got an ambulance en route. Sean was making sure he was breathing and had a pulse. He was holding pressure to his head wound. About that time a Romanian(??) guy came running up speaking a heavily accented English and Japanese. Turns out, he used to work on an ambulance. Between the three of them, the got the guy to tell him his name(Ohashi san), but he was in bad, bad shape. The ambulance got there in probably five minutes. At that point, we were kind of in the way. Sean lost his sun glasses in the chaos and quietly asked the Romanian if he'd seen them. One of the Showa Park workers overheard and it suddenly became top priority to find Sean's sunglasses. Despite the, "Mondainaidesu (it's okay, it's okay)," over and over again, Mr. Ohashi played second fiddle to finding those sun glasses. 

They were located quickly and, thankfully, Mr. Ohashi didn't die while they were searching. One of the medics had tucked them in with the patients belongings thinking they were his. Then it was all over and we walked away with zero closure. I'm so sad he was there all alone. I hope he has a family to go home to to take care of him. I hope his melon was okay. I hope it was just a fall and not a heart attack or stroke. Sean made sure to calm my fears (nope) by telling me all about what could've been wrong with the man. :(

 A few more shots to compare last year with this year. 

Felix and Simon have been going to the gym 4 days a week with Sean. Buncha beef cakes. 

 And one of the sleepy princess. She was such a trooper. I kept pulling her from the warm cocoon of her stroller for pictures. She wasn't a huge fan of that, but still gave me a few apathetic stares into the lens. I'll take it, Kid! 

Shh

I know we aren't supposed to have favorites, but she's definitely my favorite daughter. 

Ten on Tuesday

I'm going to try and make this quick because baby is sleeping. I've been trying to catch a Tuesday since 2015.

1. Isn't she cute? It's a good thing because she's kind of a time hog.

2. I finished this quilt the other day. I made the top last Fall, so it only needed sashing, basting, quilting, and binding. Basting a quilt on your diningschoolsewingart room table because your doodoo brown velcro carpet transfers dog hair is enough to make one find pictures of their previous ginormous house and stare longingly.* Basting a quilt on your diningschoolsewingart room table and having it slip and slide to the doodoo brown carpet gathering dog hair along the way is enough to make a saint cuss. Not that I'm claiming to be a Mother Theresa, but sometimes I pretend. I should add, I didn't intend for my quilt to match our ugly fence.

3. *While staring at pictures of our big beautiful house, I got to dreaming. I don't know if we'll end up back in that same house, but I wouldn't hate it. Time will tell!

4. Sean has officially put in for separation from the Air Force. <shh...do you hear the angels singing? No? Just me, then?> We are excited about the future.  Excited to figure out where to live. Excited to make an actual living. Excited to have something, anything permanent.

5. I finished this quilt yesterday. I had all the boats, lighthouse and sun made pre-Sparrow. It took a bit to piece the top together, baste, quilt, and bind this one. I wanted to get this one off the table so I can start with Christmas sewing. This is one of my top 5 favorites ever. I love it so, so much.

The origami boat pattern is not mine, but I came up with the lighthouse via some trial and error. I just monkeyed with it until it looked right. 

6. Sean said just because a quilt turned out more baby-ish than intended, it is not enough of a reason to have another baby. How are we even married with logic like that? Obviously, sewing projects are too a good enough reason to procreate. I mean...come. on. Which brings me to point 7. If quilts aren't enough of a reason, bonnets certainly are.

7. Her bonnets finally fit. Ooooooh my goot-ness. They don't match anything as we've moved on from Summer to Fall. I suppose I'll have to make more to match her warmer clothes.

8. I was totally sort of kidding about more babies. I was watching Simon with her yesterday and it occurred to me that he will be 31 if she were to start dating at 16 (which she won't, obviously). 31! And Felix will be 28. It's going to be like she has 3+ dads instead of brothers. How weird is that?

9. Her brothers adore her. They all still flock to her whenever anyone announces that she's smiling. It's awesome.

10. Simon has outranked me as photographer in this house. He has the energy for it. Most of the time, I don't even lug my camera along anymore. I'm proud of him, but I miss the challenge. Given the changing of the leaves, I'm hopeful Fall will give me the boost I need to get to clicking again. It is nice to be in the pictures for a change, though:

Before you think it. No, she doesn't. She looks like me.