Cricket's not a cricket: A banging gender reveal

All throughout this pregnancy, Matt has been SO SURE that Cricket is a boy that I was beginning to wonder if he might be disappointed if the baby turned out to be a girl.  I dunno, maybe it was when we had a conversation that went something like this:

The Mister (after every reference to Cricket ever made...): "Cricket is a boy."  

Me, finally addressing the baby elephant in the room: "You know, Mattie, there is a 50/50 chance that this child is a girl.  And if it is- what are you going to do about that?!?"

The Mister, very matter-of-factly:  "Why, we'll put her up for adoption."

Okay.  So you have to know that Matt is kinda hilarious like that- I am pretty sure he wouldn't put his own daughter up for adoption (I think!) but STILL.

I began to suspect that it might be wise to forego the tradition of not-finding out the gender this go-round in order to give him an opportunity to warm up to the fact that he was having a girl, should that be necessary.

So we found out!  Or, at least, *I* found out.  And as soon as I found out, well, then I knew.  Sounds crazy, I know, but it was a weird sort of sadness- not needing to anticipate and wonder anymore.  I decided at that appointment that in order to keep some of the extra anticipation and excitement around, I would tell everyone in a super secret, special sort of way.  But a girl can only keep a secret from EVERY.SINGLE.PRYING.PERSON for so long so a week later we invited family over to a gender reveal party.

(Despite the fact that when someone from Matt's work found out, they said we are too old to have a gender reveal party!  whaaha haha.)

I chose a way that would speak to Matt's heart in a very special way.  By blowing something up.

I can now add bomb-maker to my list of credentials.  (Chill out FBI... gender reveal bombs are a thing nowadays.  Don't add me to some watch list.  Pleaseandthankyou.)

Tannerite (I am girl.  I don't know what tannerite is or how it works.  I just know it somehow goes BOOM!) mixed with a ton of chalk powder and you have yourself a fancy shmancy gender reveal with a bang!

Here are a few photos from that little geriatric shin-dig, mostly blurry and overexposed because I had my camera settings wrong throughout most of the party.

Whoops.

the invite

a million meringues

I had a taco bar-but you can't tell here since most of the food wasn't out at this point.

For posterity, not for clarity.

I hung up pictures of all our children, us and our parents.  Hilariously, Matt guessed every one of our children wrong!  In his defense- we do seem to only make one model.

 

This would be Cricket at 24ish weeks.

fuzzy favors

The Girl Side

The Boy Side- a bit fuller, I'd say.

The sharp shooter, ready for action.  He was too! He got it on the first shot!

And in real time:

When he's right.... he's right!  :-)

Pirates Get the Gold

Last year, knowing our town parade needed a bit of zip, we entered a circus float.  The children had so much fun they knew they wanted to do it again this year.  And apparently, every year hence.  Forever and always.  (What have I done?!?!)

Thankfully, we all decided on the theme the day of last years' parade.  PIRATES.  ARRRGh Matey!  

Knowing our theme ahead of time meant  CLEARANCE DEALS!  After Halloween, I got sword/eye patch/earring kits for 90% off.  They were a dime a piece.  I got gold coins after St. Patrick's day for a song and put them in the freezer to toss out of our 'treasure chest' at the crowds.  The week before the parade I went to Salvation Army on half-price day to get some pants to cut and shred the bottoms off of and a vest for Andrew.  Oh and the satiny moo-moo sort of thing that I made Adele's mermaid tail out of. Matt brought home lots of cardboard which helped with the 'details'.  Everything else was using what we had or could borrow.  (As in...the tractor, boat and haywagon.)   

I used this tutorial to make Matt's tricorner pirate hat and this as inspiration with Ineke's parrot costume.  I totally fudged the mermaid tail- leaving a skirt from behind and a tail from in front (Adele's feet were able to walk when she needed to and able to hide when she didn't.)

Doing things like this don't have to cost a lot of money.  If they did, we wouldn't do them.

Two days before the parade, the house was in shambles.  Every inch of it.

Actually, a few days after the parade too.  ;-)

But messy houses mean crafty houses, am I right?!?  

Here are the pictures of our pirate float...  

PS. We won first prize again!  WootWoot!

 

 

Home Again, Home Again

It felt good to be crafty again.  It's been a while.  It's always nice working outside on the porch too.  An outdoor sewing room.  

And now that I have electricity out there, I was able to plug in my radio and listen to the rest of the audiobook To Kill A Mockingbird while I was working.  The version read by Sissey Spacek was flawless.  I don't remember reading this book in school...(maybe it was banned at the time?)  and that is a crying shame.  

Because it a beautiful book about a child grappling with honor, respect, hypocrisy, and courage.  And children learning justice even when outcomes are not always just.  I enjoyed listening to the audio version but I bristled every time I heard the cursing or very prevalent bigoted and ethnic slurs.  An important part of the story, and yet I wondered what my neighbors would think if they heard the too-frequent "n****r" word echoing from my porch.  I wonder though- how the title came to be.  I guess I don't know about how to kill a mockingbird.  

What it implies...what does that mean?  

Anyone?

linking up with Crafting on

The Ruby Anniversary

Pictures from my parents' 40th anniversary party last weekend~ many of these photos taken by a kind camera thief. 

 Thank you Ellen!

Gotta love the No Stabbings part

 

My beautiful sister in the kitchen.  She was the gal behind the beautiful wedding cake too!

There was entertainment too!  Quite a few songs sung or played on the piano... the children giving the best kind of gifts.

Singing Psalm 100 for my parents.  I love how Judah's hands are in his pockets and Adele is so nervous she is staring me down.

Cassandra singing LET IT GO.  

Mom sang to Dad too!

I had high hopes for getting a few formal group shots- and especially one of my whole family together- it so often doesn't happen!  But, alas...'twas not to be.  A few siblings had left at this point and we were all too beat (and the wind was too cold!) to do any 'formal' shots.

I love them.