An Eyeliner Tale

Last week I planned a trip to the ever accomodating WALLY WORLD. I hadn't visited the place in who knows how long. I try to avoid it actually.

Reason 1: It is a good 40 minute drive.

Reason 2: I swear it is impossible to get out of there with a bill of less than $50.00 bucks. IMPOSSIBLE. Even if you have like four things!

Reason 3: It is nearby three other stores that I LOVE, which I then feel obligated to frequent since I "AM IN TOWN AFTERALL".

Overall, a BAD scenario.

Well, a trip could be justified by several larger necessities that are priced best/most accessible at Walmart.

So the childer and I went, because the only time I go shopping is during the day and the only time Matt is not here is during the day.

Because of THIS fact, I have trained my little puppies very well to hold on to the cart and walk beside me.

ALWAYS.

Never let go.

And they are good little puppies and obey. (Not to say they don't touch things as we walk, or step on the backs' of each others' feet or do other crazy, normal "kidstuff" but thankfully, most of the time they have the hang on part down.)

Hanging On = my shopping sanity

As we walk along, many people stare at us. I wonder if it might be because the children are each walking nicely beside the cart with one hand holding on. Or maybe it is just because they are CHILDREN and CHILDREN ARE SUPPOSED TO BE IN SCHOOL DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY. I don't know.

I can't say as I blame them, I always think the same things only opposite. I admire those ladies who have children walking nicely beside the cart and think (my! Their children are so well behaved!) and I assume right off that if I see older children during my daytime shopping excursions, they are probably homeschooled.

I guess I am just as stereotypical as the rest of 'em.

But I digress.

(I take this moment to interject in order to say: NO. Not all homeschooled children are obedient and not all otherwise-schooled children are disobedient. Of course I understand that, what am I? Some kind of idiot?!)

We were walking along nicely when all of a sudden my feet stop and my ears beg for mercy as a scream vibrates through the store. The scream (a tantrum scream, you must know) causes everyone in my line of view to visibly cringe momentarily and then quickly recover enough to act like nothing happened.

But then. It happened again. Only this time the scream was saying "I want it! I don't WANT you! I HATE you! UGH! I HAAAAAAAAAATTTTEEEEEEEEEEE you!"

ok. right then and there I started trekking it outtathere.

My kids are not perfect. (HA! Is that an understatement!) But I can guarantee you one thing: the thought of saying I HATE YOU to ANYONE, let alone their parents has never even crossed their minds. They are smart, because if they ever tried....oh man.

I escaped as fast as I could and the children were running alongside the cart because they KNEW that they had better hustle too. Even my kids knew the aftermath of such an outburst (or rather, the aftermath that SHOULD have occurred.) would not be pretty and they thought it best to get outta there too.

Unfortunately, they must have been heading our way because the screams continued through a good part of our shopping trip.

So much so, I was practically BEGGING the mother (silently of course) to just go home. Just PLEASE, go home. Do yourself a favor lady. (and everyone else)

Fast forward to the dairy aisle.

Milk is a really low price here! Things are looking up.

Then (angelic music ensues), what do I see?

A cart. With children holding on! Three along the side and one in the seat. OBEDIENT children! A kindred spirit of a mother! Things were DEFINITELY looking up. She was in my way, so I used that as a perfect opportunity to compliment her on her children. We got to chatting.

Yup. They homeschooled. (Man~ I TOTALLY called that one!) In fact, these were just four of eleven children. Ha! Never would have guessed that!

Just when I was again feeling peace, the screamer went down a nearby aisle, still screaming albeit a bit hoarse by now. More like scream/sobbing at this point.

She and I looked at each other and she said, "you know. It's such a shame, it doesn't have to be that way." And I nodded, knowingly.

Parenting isn't easy but it surely isn't torture. Sometimes as parents, we are our own worst enemy.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Now, I should tell you this: Walmart was the last stop after visiting those other three wonderful stores that I love just because I was in the area. By now, my own children were getting tired and dare I say it, cranky?

I knew that I had better get in, get my stuff and get out. For my sake and theirs. But after my little conversation with the Mom of eleven (with the obedient children) and having just nodded in agreement about the importance of discipline and the resulting obedience in children, I knew that NOW was the time to REALLY hustle. How embarrassing would it be to have my children start acting out after all that?!?

So I started walking fast--the LAST thing on my list was eyeliner. I don't wear lots of makeup but I do love some inconspicuous eyeliner. and I needed it bad.

Corynn started stepping on the back of Andrew's feet. On purpose.

I walked faster.

Adele' began to whimper~a sure sign that the inevitable blow up is coming.

Faster still.

I got to the makeup aisle and started looking around for eyeliner. Black. All the while I was thinking about the line I still had to get through to pay. How many people were shopping in the store, waiting in line. It would be another 30 minutes before I got out of there probably.

That thought scared the bejeebers out of me so I grabbed the first and cheapest eyeliner that I saw then I hightailed it outta there.

I practically rode the cart down to the registers and danced my way through them.

But I got out with my confidence still intact.



Only today did I realize (while getting dolled up for tomorrow's self-portraits) that the eyeliner that I had grabbed so hastily was in fact, bright BLUE.

BLUE?!? They still make blue eyeliner?!

I couldn't help but thinking in remorse, that I am now one of their statistical numbers declaring that hideous navy blue eyeliner is, in fact, a product that is in demand.

Rats.

And worse yet: I spent MONEY on the dumb thing.

I guess I can't let it go to waste...I'll figure SOMETHING out I guess.

Morals of the story:

Don't shop at multiple stores you love BEFORE doing the real shopping.

Don't affirm to a most noble woman how well-behaved children ought to be when your children are on the threshhold of doom and despair.

and, most importantly....

ALWAYS CHECK THE EYELINER LABELS.

You never know WHAT you might get.

Since you asked:

.....er, wait. You didn't.

No matter.

Here are some little bits:

• Six bushels of apples are sitting in my front room, waiting for my next bout of gumption. I am very afraid I have forgotten what gumption is.

• A week after we found the free bed on the side of the road, we got a call from Matt's cousin who was getting rid of her sons' set of bunkbeds. She asked if we wanted them. Now, the bed we picked up on the side of the road was an odd shape: too short (and wide) for a twin mattress and too small for a double. The only size it would fit is the size of a sleeper sofa. Incidentally, we have a hideous one that is (and has been) a thorn in my side since I inherited it through marriage. It slept my college Mattie and the boy can't part with it. Of course HE doesn't see the hideous pea green cushions or notice the awfully bony, old, uncomfortableness of the thing. I took the mattress out of that thing and stuffed the dumb thing with every spare throw pillow I had lying around thinking "hey, it might actually be MORE comfortable now". Well, didn't happen. Fast forward to the bunkbeds: you can see why I didn't turn it down! We put the mattress back in the hideous sleeper sofa (I loathe it still) and put the bunkbeds up. The childer two L.O.V.E. it. They call the top bunk the Owl Nest, and that is where Andrew sleeps; the bottom bunk is the bear cave, where Corynn sleeps and the pull out drawer is called the rabbit hole, which makes a great hideout.

Eventually, the girls will get the bunks and Andrew will get the bed and iffin we are blessed with another child~heck! The drawer can be made into a trundle! How cool is that?

I love all the floorspace in this room despite the fact that is houses four different bed situations.
I love that Gram crocheted us a wedding afgan and then last year another and so each bed on the bunks have matching afghans.
I love that Andrew can climb down from the top in the middle of the night to go potty without killing himself.
I love that each bed has their own little treasure shelf.
I love the drawer on bottom, even though I try to keep it empty. (WILL.NOT.BUY.MORE.TOYS)


The children LOVE that it makes pretty much the coolest fort/tent in the universe.

• I always felt sort of gypped when it came to science, growing up. I felt like I had the POTENTIAL to like it, but never really did. Maybe it was my beyond-horrid science teacher (that's a story for another time, let me tell you!) that turned me off to it, but whatever the case~I got through highschool with good grades but no passion for science. I recently have discovered how COOL science really is~ and how I am actually a closet science geek. Much of this discovery lies in the hands of these documentaries I have recently discovered and watched for free on Google Video:

The Case for a Creator

The Privileged Planet

I just have to say: I love you Google Video. *muah*

• We attended our first ever Lowes Build and Grow event and had lotsa fun. Of course, trying to help two children hammer projects while at the same time holding a baby who is not liking all the banging around WAS interesting. But hey, it is hard to deter me when it come to creating things. Seriously though~ this child kills me. He is too good at keeping that expression on his face even when I am erupting in laughter.

• The only thing I want to make my dear girl for her birthday is Molly Monkey. BUT. Don't I already have enough to do?! Not to mention: I am terrified at the prospect of stuffed animals... Anyone done stuffed animals before and care to offer advice? Or you could just tell me I am off my nut and need to be committed. Or tell me you will make it for me. (that would work too.)

• I know the vaccination debate is touchy one and so, I am keeping my soapbox in my closet for now and not even TELLING you where I stand. Truth be told, I haven't known very much about it all for quite some time. I took the easy route and trusted my doctors. And then my husband. Only now am I doing the research myself and I recently found this seminar on youtube:
  

I am posting only the first part and she really only cites her accreditations and thesis on this one. There are almost 20 different "parts" so I am still not all the way through them but I have already found them incredibly valuable and they just get better. She is putting actual RESEARCH out there, citing respectable MD's and doing it all in an objective, easy to understand way.

I won't tell you where I stand on vaccinations~ or where you should stand. That is for you to decide. I WILL say though, I don't believe it is safe to just put our faith in the decisions that are made for us. Especially when we have such a respectable group of people to look to in government these days.

It's ok to disagree with me. Just please make educated decisions on this and other subjects.

Knowledge is power, and without it, we are just, well, pretty dumb. hehe

No matter where you are at in this debate, you must check this out.

(PS. I will erase all comments related to vaccinations UNLESS you actually watch the video. Regardless of commenter-unless you watch the whole seminar, you can't soapbox here. Thank you.)

• Did you know that Montessouri has some free printables? I have been having lots of fun with that...and it has given me some great inspiration too! More on that another day....

• Did you know that fall bonfires are pretty much perfect? Even if the spontenaity comes at a time when no graham crackers or chocolate bars are in the house? Roasted marshmellows are pretty good all by themselves, if you ask me!

• UNO is fun. I think it is super cool that the whole family can now play games that Matt and I have played by ourselves for so long (even though Andrew doesn't quite get the concept of hiding your cards). It's times like this that I realize my kiddos are growing up. *sniff*
  

• My first ever batch of homemade sauerkraut is almost ready. It looks DISGUSTING, all moldy and stuff on top but after discussing things with a serious sauerkraut connosieur, I learned it is SUPPOSED to look that way. Apparently, that is how saurkraut is made. I wonder if I will be able to eat it after scraping mold from the top. *gag*
  

• Last time the children and I visited Gram, she made us a great Great Depression meal of stewed tomatoes and elbow noodles (with some sugar thrown in.) I missed her today, so I made it for lunch. We need to plan a visit soon.

• I tried some self-portraits today for this Fridays Show n Tell. DID YOU?!

To the wind

Life is SO full for me these days. Moments slip by, to-do lists grow, evenings come too quickly and mornings do too.

It can be very disheartening to want to do so much and not be able to "get" to it by day's end.

A completely homemade Christmas.
Home gathered/created decorations
A Halloween TREAT party, in the works
Schooling
Art projects
Harvesting pumpkins and beets and winter squash
Bills
Library lists to be made, books to be read and returned, more to be found
crafts to do
A sweet little one turning one... too soon
21 chickens to care for
A calf, a dog, a cat
A wood fire to keep burning
Books to read
Diapers to change
Letters to write
Packages to mail
Kisses to deliver
Hugs to warm
Pictures to take
Things to blog
Clothes to put away
Books to write
Floors to sweep.
Bathrooms to clean
A CHURCH to clean
Children to disciple and discipline
Groceries to get
Costumes to make
Lives to mold

But the picture flips and I see:

A completely homemade Christmas :: Never a more meaningful, heartfelt holiday than this.
Strictly home gathered/created decorations:: Never a more contented, artistic way of celebrating
A Halloween TREAT party, in the works:: A time of joy, among friends
Schooling:: The gift of many moments, that would otherwise be stolen from me
Art projects:: Creativity brimming
Harvesting pumpkins and beets and winter squash:: A bountiful harvest, food for the table, winter months with warm bellies
Bills:: Electricity and running water: balms for my soul
Library lists to be made, books to be read and returned, more to be found:: an insatiable desire for learning, living, dreaming, and doing
crafts to do:: sheer pleasure, happy fingers
A sweet little one turning one... too soon:: a darling and a dear, who is healthy and strong
21 chickens to care for:: fresh eggs for breakfast
A calf, a dog, a cat:: our little farm, starting out
A wood fire to keep burning:: Warmth
Books yet to read::Opportunities to look forward to
Diapers to change:: a little one to fill my arms with
Letters to write:: dear friends
Packages to mail:: bits of fun for others to receive
Kisses to deliver, Hugs to warm:: My own pleasures
Pictures to take:: A camera that beckons
Things to blog:: A wonderful camaraderie and remembrance book
Clothes to put away::A reminder that we are more beautiful than the lilies
Books to write::Aspirations
Floors to sweep:: Ownership
Bathrooms to clean:: children who are potty-trained
A CHURCH to clean:: a bit extra cash flow
Children to disciple and discipline:: opportunities for my own obedience
Groceries to get: His provisions
Costumes to make:: another way to wrap my children in love
Lives to mold::my dreams come true

I often think back to those short-lived childless days of marriage, and how busy I thought I was. I chuckle at how much one child busied me to the point of exhaustion and I can hardly fathom how much MORE I do, but still get done.

I don't get done everything *I* want to get done. Not by a very LLLllloooooooooonnnngggg shot. But somehow, by God's grace and His alone, I am given time enough to do the IMPORTANT things.

The life shaping things.

I always, somehow, find time to do those things.

There will come a day when all I will have is those "other things" and I fear I might find my life seeming much more shallow, much less full. Those things that I pine to do now will just be a feeble attempt to replace what once was.

Sometimes, the *LIST* needs to be thrown to the wind. Forgotten, for a time.


Life needs to happen, regardless of what NEEDS to be done. The list will remain for another day and no one will be the wiser. The beets won't care. The sewing machine won't grumble. The fabric won't disappear. The books won't refuse to be written.

So at times, it is good to create a new list that goes something like this:

Be spontaneous
Show your children that they are more important than the toilets or floor or computers or books.
Find something to inspire you.
Find JOY and share it.

The other day, we did just this.

(photo taken by Corynn)

We gathered school books, leaves, cattails and JOY.

We left tired, unenthusiastic and returned radiant and energetic.

The bickering stopped and were replaced by kisses.

The schooling was done in and under a cloudy blue canopy and the park tree that is our own.

Lethargy was replaced with jumping and stretching into the heavens.


And new experiences and memories were made. We found time for those life-shaping things and we were made better by the time we afforded to them.


We can't get everything done, not today, not ever. But if we try, we can ALWAYS find time to do what is most important, most meaningful, and most glorifying to God.


And THAT is true success. In that, I find MY success.


Yes, it is good to throw your never-ending to-do list to the wind every now and again.

But before you do, take a good look at it.

Those things that are burdening you today, every day; those threads left unwoven in your head and heart; those things reveal something to you too.


They reveal the multitude of your days, of His hands, the glory of your LIFE, and the hopes of tomorrow.

If only you choose to see it that way.


Choosing a new perspective this day and realizing gifts #179-#211 were right under my nose all along.

Join us?!

A WET Foto Friday

I want to start off this week with an apology. Last week I made a few comments on some of your blogs about how a certain photo might be made better. It was later in the week before I realized that in doing so, I might have offended some of you. Of course, I never meant any offense and I do apologize for any that may have occurred. Unless I hear specifically from you that you wouldn't mind those sorts of comments, I will keep my big yap shut.

~~~~~~~~~

Last week's WATER challenge was the hardest one yet (for me). Don't mean to complain but...SHEESH! They did not turn out at ALL like I wanted them too. The few I posted are nice, don't get me wrong, but it is a bad case of envisioning something in your mind then being disappointed with the results. It wasn't for lack of trying either~ I put more work into this challenge than all the others combined. I guess I need some serious help with the subject of water. blech.

Ok. Enough complaining.

To look at it a different way: I haven't spent so much time behind my camera~and that is ALWAYS fun. The assignment even spurred a wild goose chase/picnic/do school at the park/explore Fall day which made this challenging all the more rewarding. (More pictures from that another day.)

Here are the few I narrowed it down to: I took probably 500 pictures~ that is a VERY high failure rate people! *blush*


These first three photos were taken with a white cloth napkin in the background, outside (since my dark house is no good for taking indoor photos), using a wine glass and a pourable measuring cup. The drop one was created using a medicine dropper.


I did really like the colors that were reflected in the water. I propped up a piece of red construction paper on one side (out of the frame view) and I guess the green must have come from the grass.


These are from the park day, yesterday. It was a perfectly wonderful day. Enjoying mild days outside take precedence over home chores anyday. All too soon I am going to become my typical winter recluse. Gotta soak up the goodness while I can.



And down the road from our house, there is a funny pond where a mailbox sits smack dab in the middle of the water. I have no idea why~my only guess is for birds to roost/nest?! It's a funny sight~ though I wish I could have gotten closer to it for a shot. But it was impossible. Especially with three little people in tow.


Can't wait to see everyone's contributions!!



In order to participate in these Foto Friday challenges, you must take a photo (or several) pertaining to the challenge and post it to your blog (and when you do, please link back to this blog {you may use the button if you like} so that perhaps we can get lots of participants! Because, you know, the more the merrier!) Then simply link to your Foto Friday post with Mr. McLinky here so that we all can visit you and compare notes...

Most importantly~challenge yourself, but HAVE FUN doing it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am straying a little bit from the challenge list this week because I thought it would be fun, since we have just begun, to sort of "introduce" ourselves to one another since in some cases we are "meeting" for the first time. So.... this week our challenge is going to be SELF-PORTRAITS!
The requirement, of course, is that we take the photo ourselves (no husbands taking pictures). Hence, SELF portraits! hehe You can also try to capture what MAKES you you in more creative ways. I think this is going to be great fun!

How's it going?

For all you NEEDY individuals (hehe), here is a reminder: Get those WATER pictures around because the big day is coming.

I hope you all are faring better than I am~ because this is what happens every time I try and take some pictures....

I took 238 pictures yesterday and not a one blog worthy.

And you guys thought I was a good photographer....

October Garden

"In the garden, Autumn is, indeed the crowning glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought
and care and toil. And at no season, safe perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such superb colour effects as
from August to November."
- Rose G. Kingsley, The Autumn Garden

There is nothing quite so satisfying as clearing beds and pulling out those plants that were so productive for you at years end, harvesting those foods which are storeable for the winter months and enjoying at a SLOWER pace the last fruits of your labor. The rush of canning season is drawing nigh and what bit of canning you DO is a welcome way of warming the kitchen.

The garden this month looks pretty sad; brown and crumpled vines trail across the beds but with a few orange, green and cream jewels peeking out from under them. Honestly, it is a welcome sight. Harvesting consists of nothing but picking up the fruit: no tiptoeing around in order to not disturb other plants, no pushing monstrous, prickly leaves away to get at the squash....just reach, grab and go.

Our corn did not do well, we didn't eat any of it. Half we gave to our calf Jed and the few other cobs I will try to pick kernels out for decorating. I tried the whole companion planting beans/corn thing and it didn't do anything but ruin things for us~next year we plant an entire bed of corn.

I have begun harvesting the butternut, buttercup, and acorn squashes. There are plenty more where that came from.


Carrots~ I am proud of our carrots. I did a HORRIBLE job thinning them out because they quickly got covered by the tomato plants. The whole harvest would have been lost had it not been for the dreaded tomato blight killing all of our tomatoes and opening up the carrots to the sun again. I think they forgave me for my neglect though, because despite all that, there are still some real beauties.

These are an heirloom variety that is pink on the outside and orange on the inside. I think they are beautiful.


"Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause
between the opposing miseries of summer and winter."
- Carol Bishop Hipps


We gathered some of our orange pumpkins from the garden the other day. Seven of them. All perfectly wonderful. That very day we returned from Wegmans where we saw pumpkins for sale for $5.00 a piece. That was a good math lesson for Corynn at how much money we have saved! There are eight more pumpkins in the garden, waiting for their orange costumes to arrive.


The smallest pumpkin lasted just a few moments before the chickens pecked it to death. One of the not-so-great features of free-range chickens. We gathered up all the other pumpkins and put them on our patio where they are safe...but I am still going to figure out a way to get them by the front door without being mutilated. Any suggestions?! After all, I am depending on them for decorations!


Our potatoes didn't do well. At. All. I am really disappointed by the tire method. Really, either I did something wrong or that is the dumbest idea ever. I got maybe three potatoes from the ENTIRE tower of tires (four) and those were tiny, more like salt potatoes. We have a u-pick potato place close by that we will have to be visiting I think. rats.

"She had only to stand in the orchard, to put her hand on a little crab tree and look up at the apples,
to make you feel the goodness of planting and tending and harvesting at last."
- Willa Cather

We have TONS of beets and they grew so well there are a few that are actually TOO big. I have only harvested the large ones, the rest I have not yet touched. I love the beets, I love the greens. I LOVE beets. Like, with a passion.


We have also been harvesting our sweet, green, and jalapeno peppers though they are not as plentiful as I would have hoped. The plants were thriving but they didn't have huge yields. I had to BUY some jalapenos at a roadside stand to have enough for a few batches of my favorite jelly ever. And I had to scratch the idea of making homemade jalapeno poppers altogether.

Tons of mushrooms have been appearing in the garden, which I snapped up hoping they might be edible....but then I chickened out when I started reading about destroying angels and that got me just a wee bit (read: terribly) nervous. I realized that eating wild mushrooms is NOT for the amateur. I probably threw out the very best tasting mushrooms ever, but better to be safe than kill off my whole family. ;-) I do plan to read up more on the whole wild mushroom thing~because I think that would be a neat thing to learn about.


And of course, the flowers. I am so happy about the cutting garden I planted...it was the best thing I ever could have done FOR ME. There is nothing like going out and gather bouquets for the table every week. A simple indulgence. I *could* have used that space for more food, maybe that would have been a wiser choice but I am glad I did something just for my pleasure.


Looking on the happy Autumn-fields,
An thinking of the days that are no more.
- Alfred Lord Tennyson

Straw Painting~ Fall Trees

I had great intentions for doing consistent art projects with the children last year, and while we did do some, they were sporatic and less often as I had hoped for.

So when this year rolled around, I vowed to TRY HARDER!

It's turning out to be quite fun, actually.
I am a MAKER (love, love, love it!) so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I am enjoying it. The children LOVE it~ but that goes without saying. I have never met a child yet who didn't jump on the chance to be artistic when it was given to them.

I have a TON of Fall crafts already lined up which, for me, is the hardest part ~figuring out what to do. It feels good to have a plan.

This week the children and I worked with paints and paper~and straws.

We painted an entire sheet of paper in every fall color (with brushes) and in any way we wanted. Then we put a nice big thick line of watery black down the middle of the paper.

Taking a straw, we painted a nice thick, WET line down the middle of the paper and blew through a straw pushing the black paint every which way. You can sort of "steer" the paint by how you might like it to be. It is REALLY neat to see the paint spread~as it does so, the branches almost appear to GROW.

Super cool.

The kids had an absolute ball. It was a great activity for any age child, too, because it could be as easy or complex a picture as they choose~the METHOD is super easy.

Aren't I Perdy?

Corynn and Andrew got the brilliant idea (well, likely Corynn did and Andrew accomodated her because he does that) to draw a portrait of me (and Matt) on our wedding day.

I must say, the resemblance is quite astonishing!

This is Corynn's:



I never realized how chubby my arms were~ I think I ought to work on that. I think I must have had a severe case of nerve-induced hand inflammation. My, was that a jittery day.

But let me tell you~ I would take a ring THAT size any 'ol day.

Come to think of it~ I would take a ring ANY size any 'ol day. I think it must have to be YEARS since I was last gifted jewelry. Yes, most assuredly-years. The last time I got jewelry was three years ago. My heart necklace. (but who's keeping track?)

"Matt?" as I thump microphone "This thing on?"

"You there?"

This is Andrew's :

I am LOVING how thin I was back then (goes to show you what having three babies does to you every other year you are married) but is it me or does it look like Matt is feeling like he is making a B.I.G. mistake?! I mean, he is not looking to happy over there.

And by the way~ I am not THAT much taller than he is. Just so you know.

And also~ that thing between his legs? It's a TIE.

Get your mind out of the gutter, people!

The Tale of the Undersea Blob

Who knew adding googly-eyes to the typical playdoh fun would add a whole new dimension (and hours) to playing?!


While the children and I were making incredibly creative things like owls, elephants, frogs, chickens, and self-portraits.... Matt was creating the Undersea Blob.


Here lies his Tale:



Photo 1) (Narrated in a deep, throaty and somewhat suspenseful male voice) Once there was an undersea blob who lived in the deepest crevices of the ocean floor. There he sat, in his inconspicuous cave...waiting....waiting for his next victim. He moved not.

Photo 2) Along came a fish, entirely unsuspecting of the danger lurking. Still, the BLOB MOVED NOT.

A moment passes, the anxiety is as hard to bear as the silence.

Photo 3) BLAAAAAHHHHHCH!!!!!!!!!! numa numa numa numa

(piercing screams of children ensue)

Photo 4) And the deepsea blob, not quite satiated, hides again in his cavernous sea and there he waits for his next meal. And the blob moves NOT....