Scary or Exhilarating?

Tar Heels Disappoint

The Tar Heels had more than enough support from our family last night to pull out a win. Evan and Isabel did not go to bed happy...that's fo' sho'! The things parents do to their children to try to get luck on their side...

On Second Thought

The patterned background was not that great of a choice after all. The yellow silhouette was not defined enough amid the green squares. This made the whole project pointless considering you could barely make out the fine details of Evan's features.

I've replaced the patterned background with a solid green background. The change is remarkable. Now I really am happy with the turnout.

I realize this is a poor excuse for a picture, but I haven't figured out how to take a picture without getting some sort of reflection in the glass. Tips, anyone?

Silhouette Gentille Silhouette

Evan's nursery has been somewhat finished for awhile now. There are certain touches that I've been meaning to make, but just haven't gotten around to - one being the vacant wall space above his changing area.

I decided a few months ago that I was going to make a silhouette of Evan's head, frame it and hang it up above his dresser/changing station. I finally got around to doing it and I really love how it turned out. I'm now not certain that it is large enough to fill that vacant space, but I will definitely find a spot for it.

Here is the picture I used to make the silhouette:

And here is the framed silhouette:

I thought about doing the traditional black silhouette on a white background, but I wanted to add more color to his room and I like the idea of a patterned background.

I laughed when I first looked at the finished silhouette because it looked a lot like my brother, Todd. Genetics are amazing, aren't they?

Fall in Florida

We spent most of yesterday outside enjoying the fall-like weather in Florida. The high was about 70, but with the whipping wind it felt more like 60-65. I ain't gonna lie...we were cold. We're those people you see walking down the street in ski jackets and ear muffs when the temperature drops below 60 degrees. That's what happens when you move to Florida.

Back to Work

My 15 month maternity leave has come to a close. Well, sort of. I begin work today as a writer/public relations specialist for Gage Publishing. What about teaching? some of you might be thinking. And that answer is quite simple. There are no teaching jobs. So what does one do when they want to work, but can't find a job in their desired field? Find a job in another desired field.

I am really excited about this job for two general reasons. (1) I enjoy writing and being involved in the community and love the idea of being paid to do it. And (2) I'm able to work from home. I have found a job that is providing me the best of both worlds. I'm able to work and start feeling productive again AND Evan is able to stay at home - saving on day care is a victory in itself.

I'm starting out part-time (20 hours a week), but my position will grow into full-time over the next few months. This a great way to slowly transition myself and Evan into a different routine and schedule.

I am downright stoked about this new development. And seriously, would you want any day care to have to deal with this face?

DIYin' It

Project #2. A little something for Evan to encourage his creative side. We would consider a squiggle mark on the chalk board art at this point, but who knows, maybe our encouragement will produce an artist or at least an appreciation for the subject.

My inspiration for this project stemmed from the hundreds of blogs I read raving about chalk board paint. And let me tell you, the rave is absolutely justified. Chalk board paint is the cat's meow. It is so easy to apply and almost magical the way it quickly transforms from a liquid paint to a hard slate-like material. I'm a big fan.

We've had a tv stand in storage for several years now. It's a nice solid piece of furniture that Robert's step-dad, Phil, built over a decade ago. Being in the age of wide screen and flat panel televisions, this tv stand just wasn't functional anymore. But I was determined to find a use for it. *ding, ding, ding* Chalk board paint + tv stand = chalk board/storage unit. I simply painted the tv stand and attached a piece of particle board to the front of the unit that was painted with the chalk board paint. I framed the board with wood pieces that I painted and added the car decorations (that I also painted) to fuel Evan's obsession with all things on wheels. I left the back open because the unit itself is on wheels and can be swiveled. I use that space for storage in addition to the shelf and the drawer.

I was happy with the result. Evan immediately wanted to rip the car decor off the front and take them for a spin...many thanks to Gorilla Glue.

BEFORE

AFTER

We're In The Army Now

The last time I took Evan to have his hair trimmed they charged me the INSANE price of $13. I about gave the lady a "YOU'RE KIDDING ME, RIGHT?" But I just chuckled to myself, paid for it and vowed to never pay for his haircut again. It's amazing how things can backfire on you.

We have trimmed Evan's hair a couple of times since his birth, but nothing too extreme. Over the past 15 months his hair has stayed relatively the same length on top, but has become excessively thick in the back. He was beginning to have this hideous overhang of hair on his shirt collar and we decided we couldn't tolerate it anymore. Staying true to my vow of never paying for a haircut, Robert attempted to give Evan a haircut just to thin out the back a bit...



Robert's attempt left Evan with a Billy Ray Cyrus 'do that was not gonna work for me. I gave in to my unwillingness of wanting to pay for his haircut and took him to a barber.

I explained to the barber that I all I wanted was for him to thin out the back of Evan's hair giving an all over even cut. I wasn't aware that I had to also instruct him on what tools I wanted him to use. I was sitting in the seat with Evan on my lap and all of sudden we were both startled by the loud buzzing of the shears he used to buzz all of Evan's hair off in a matter of seconds. I never even saw it coming. What happened to using scissors? Seeing all those long, fine baby hairs dump into my lap in clumps made me really sad. When the barber was done and I looked at Evan in the mirror all I could think of doing was saluting him...we were already sending him off to bootcamp. Does this mean we have an Army brat? (ha ha) And to really add salt to the wound I had to pay $12 for this insanity!

Future Class Clown

Evan has a signature move that he perfected when I was visiting my parents a couple of months ago. He does a variation of jazz hands paired with a surprised look and the result is always hysterical laughter from us which only feeds his comedic behavior.

I'm gonna get daily phone calls from his future teachers.

The Small Things

The little things that can make a child laugh continue to amaze me. This is one great example...

What Appears To Be Abuse

The past couple of weeks have been full of bumps and bruises...literally. Evan has managed to slam, bang and pummel every square inch of his body making it almost embarrassing to take him out in public.

I was in Target (of course I was in Target) browsing the Halloween section and I noticed the lady next to me checking Evan out. She did one of those I hope she didn't see me looking kind of glances...not once...but twice. I totally caught her the first time which made it even more disturbing when she did it again. I wanted to flat out ask her, "which mark of abuse has you so concerned? Is it the huge bruise/welt/scratch that takes up his entire right cheek? Or is it the purple goose egg on his forehead? Oh, wait, it must be the knees that are both missing the first few layers of skin."

I restrained myself, of course, but it was definitely one of those moments where I just wanted to lash out and make someone feel as uncomfortable as possible. Or at least set the record straight. "No, lady, I do not abuse my child. He willingly dives into chairs, runs into footboards, and slides across pavement...all pushing about 100 mph." My role in this drama is to pick him up when he cries and comfort him until he's ready to do it all over again. Someday I hope he learns. But until then I may need to invest in a pacemaker.