So we are a little closer to finishing the table. Bricks have been painted on and the table top and lake are complete. We are still trying to decide what to do with the lake-trapdoor. I was thinking of drilling some holes and making a Loch Ness Monster handle out of rope. Other ideas include a rubber ducky handle or whale tail just screwed or glued in. The other side of the tunnel still needs to be painted but the fact that it is now completely taken over with the trains means that it is likely going to be a project done on a whim. Thanks John and Lindsey for some of the brainstorming ideas! As you can see, Griffin could not be more pleased. He spent over an hour at it yesterday.
Archive for January, 2010
Jan
10
2010
Homemade train table saga-Part 2
Jan
08
2010
Homemade train table saga
Yup. Christmas is long and gone. But little boys who can’t read the calendar don’t know the difference. This project was one that came incredibly close to not being completed. Let me give a little bit of the family back history. Kelby and I have decided that our kids receive and consume plenty and that for the holidays we want most to pass on the spirit of giving and thoughtful making and crafting of gifts. So we embarked on only making gifts for each other for Christmas a few years back.
The problem arises from the fact that the time during the holiday season is in SHORT supply. The Fall is the busiest for my photo business not to mention that the flu season and H1N1 hit hard this year. Add in a few unforeseeable life events and some family visits and the sand in the hour glass spilled out making gift making time short and procrastination abundant. So this is the “little homemade train table” that almost became the “Purchased from Amazon with Overnight Delivery train table” and finally became the “Big-Gift-Homemade-Train-table-that-knew-no-Calendar” and was assembled the week after the Christmas with the “help” of big sister elf.
Here Dunedin has dressed herself up to give Griffin his partially finished gift and make it “Christmas” sometime last week.
Griffin’s excitement and their exploration of the tunnel and removable lake trap door lake made up for the fact that the parts and labor ended up costing far more than if we had ordered that table and had it hand shipped by reindeer overnight from Amazon.
The last step is to paint and finish it… If that ever gets done!
Jan
05
2010
Christmas Portraits- Providence Family Photographer
These may be a little late in posting, but kids and families this cute can’t just stay on my computer without sharing. What an honor it was to get to photograph this 7 month old. Her parents were here visiting family for the holidays all the way from Japan. And after having traveled half way around the world, this little lady was up for some photos!
I would like to point out that these images were of her crawling the farthest she had ever gone before. All to get her hands on my camera. The girl knows a good Japanese Camera when she sees one!
Cousins, separated by land and ocean, couldn’t keep their hands off each others hair.
Modeling this well is hard work!
It was also really nice to get to sample some of the Sembe the family brought with them. Amazing how flavors can take you to places almost forgotten. It brought me back to my time spent in Japan so many years ago with K.
Cheers and Merry, Happy Holidays to All!
Jan
04
2010
We dont bother with rose tinted glasses around here
The view is sweet enough. We prefer to go right for the googly goggles. Here you see one of the favorite gifts my kids received for the holidays. Thanks Miriam!
Jan
02
2010
Snowy Snow Owl
So it is time to play a little catch up. It has been “vacation” for us here. We filled the last week with holidays, family, friends, broken noses, severed fingers, good meals, birthdays and all sorts of other things that make vacations great and even when not so great… memorable.
Here are a couple I just found of Dunes building her Snow-Snowy Owl in our backyard while Griffin napped.
Note: I got a few smiles. Turns out Christmas, snow, and snowballs are all things that will bring out smiles without much prodding.
Here she is testing out her omnipotent powers and making it snow. Who knew bamboo trees were ever greens? They stay green throughout the winter.
Of course all Snow-Mama Snowy owls have their nest of eggs to protect from the predators of Providence. There are quite a few. You can ask Dunedin and she will give you a list.
Again, smiles. Before I jinx it, let me share my latest technique for getting my children to smile at my camera. Slapstick. Mommy falls, mommy walks into walls, mommy cannot hit child with snowball to save her own hide, mommy tries to talk but only squawking comes out… This sort of thing. Give it a try. Someone is sure to get a laugh.
