cre8in

2008-06-26T19:00:00.001-07:00

Win the Essential Babywearing Stash from Along for the Ride (one Beco Butterfly, one Hotsling baby pouch, one BabyHawk Mei Tai, one Zolowear Ring Sling, and one Gypsy Mama Wrap)

win an ergo!

2008-05-29T15:04:00.001-07:00

Win a Free Ergo Baby Carrier from Along for the Ride

or better yet... win it and send it my way!! =) Our little guy is getting so big, and this is just what I've been looking researching. Won't it be great when I win an ergo... and just in time for my birthday .. and for father's day too! =)

2008-03-19T17:41:00.001-07:00

YUP< i'm bragging a bit, and asking for your help =)

Thirst Wine Bar & Bistro chose my husband's design as a finalist in the contest for a new label for their two new house wines. (read more about the contest here )

By Friday, David Billings (my hubby) and three other finalists' designs will be on display at both their River Place and Lake Oswego locations, as well as online at www.thirstwinebar.com so that people can vote. To vote (here's where I'm asking for your help), register to become a member at Thirst's website. Membership is free. Members can vote once a day until the end of the contest. Ultimately, the design will be chosen by the owners of Thirst, but popular vote could sway their decision!

You can see David's work at his website... Sparkyfirepants =)

Thanks! Please spread the word!! =)

what have I been up to?

2008-02-03T20:40:00.000-08:00

well... since the move I have been doing more knitting than blogging... (go figure. it's easier to knit with a sleeping 16+ pounder on your lap than to balance the computer and blog... and I'm not that good at the left handed typing yet. ) I'm also not that clear headed.
I've also read a couple of good books.
read many good blogs. (and even tried posting comments... though clear and intelligent communication is not at the top of my list of skills these days.... I'm working on that. oh, and there are times when I've actually written responses, and failed to hit the send button.. and lost them to cyberspace... trust me, those were the really good comments where I come off sounding oh so smart, witty, and just like the kinda gal you want for a friend!

I've been cooking... i bake a couple of loaves of uber bread (it's super high protein and yummy too) each week...
oh.. and laundry. I have done lots of laundry... (* Note to self. order the new washing thing and blog about it. )

I've made up all sorts of ridiculous songs and made lots of silly sounds.. I'm also really good at raspberries.

pictures of my finished knitted projects will come.
book listing.. yeah, I'll get around to it eventually.

I'm just taking this blog commitment one day at a time...

it's Snowing!!!

2008-02-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

We woke this morning to more rain... slowly the rain turned to snow. Now it's even sticking and the flakes are big. It would be pretty cool if we got some snowman building snow today.

bloggeriffic!

2008-02-01T12:18:00.000-08:00

okay.. I realize that I have a blog creating addiction... I've often wondered if I should scrap the whole thing and start all over...

I have the Frugal Vegan Blog which is supposed to be where I log my frugal ways, in hopes of sharing how I feed my food lovin' family without breaking the bank.

my DC Daily Photo Blog which was a great experiment for myself. I wasn't sure about blogging DAILY! (yikes) and sharing my pictures with the whole wide world .. but I did it. and it was fun, and a fantastic way of documenting our time in DC. But, alas, I no longer live in DC. I know there will be a new daily photo blog in my future, but I'm not sure I'm ready for it yet. Maybe...

& there's this Cre8in Blog which was my attempt to encourage, nurture and allow an outlet for my creative side. (as if that creativity can have only one side!) plus, I happen to love the way I used the 8 in cre8in. okay, i'm a geek. whatever.

and a few other private blogs that I've created for various reasons, all rooted in my desire to write more, to create more, and to keep a record (albeit a loose, fun, not so structured record) of this thing I call my life.

sooo... now, I've been busy with life, and have allowed myself to be a bit more scattered than I normally find comfortable. And, I'm wondering what I want to do with this blogging part of my personality.

I don't think I want to just dump it all. I think I'm ready to challenge myself. What better day to do this than today. On the first day of the second month of a new year. (it makes sense to me, even if it's just a bunch of babble to anyone 'out there')

So... I'll take a baby step here, and try to post every day for a week. I was going to say a month.. but that's just more of a commitment than I'm willing to make right now. WIth this 'everydayforaweek commitment' I plan to post to each of my blogs independently. I've been lazy and copied some of my posts to my different blogs.. (BLA BLA BOring.)

so.. this will be my last (for this week at least) duplicate post.

this is where I get serious.
(for a week anyway!) >> Sheesh.. I'm beginning to sound like commitmentphobic.

let the experiment begin......

2008-01-18T16:04:00.000-08:00

Sing Polly wolly doodle all the day

polly wolly doodle..

yup. I'm singing polly wolly doodle.. and I'm singing it all the day. WHY?? because my little guy giggles uproariously when I sing it.

as he does when I sing the slobber song, or the Henri BOP Bop BOP, HEnri Bop .

and you know what? I'll admit it. There's not much I won't do to hear that little guy giggle.

2007-12-26T11:07:00.001-08:00

2007-11-05T12:54:00.000-08:00

J j & h!

2007-11-05T12:33:00.001-08:00

three is company! =)

2007-10-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

sent from my cel phone =)

please welcome Henri David

2007-10-03T20:24:00.001-07:00

I've been so busy enjoying the new man in my life, I've neglected to give him a proper introduction.

Please welcome our son, Henri David. He was born at home last Thursday evening. Daddy caught him, big sister proclaimed "he's a Henri!", big brother is happy to have a little brother.

I'm simply in love.

Gdiapers > changing the world, one bum at a time.

2007-09-25T07:58:00.001-07:00

My daugher has noticed that I've been spending a lot of time on cloth diapering sights lately. Things have changed a lot in the past 11 1/2 years since I first chose to try cloth diapering. I think when I mentioned it at the time, my mom (who cloth diapered all six of us) and my sisters thought I was a bit nutty. (but then, I get that a lot) So I started researching what is new in the cloth diapering community. One company in particular really stood out to both David and I. Gdiapers are a happy little marriage between cloth and disposable. It is a disposable insert in a cloth diaper cover.

Gdiapers appeal to me on so many levels. First, you have this Australian couple, Jason and Kim Graham-Nye, who came to the realization that disposable diapers are the third largest contributer to landfills in the world. And those suckers take five hundred years to break down (to me that kinda takes the practicallity right out of the ease of disposablility!) So this couple decided to take that realization a step (or two or many) further! Gdiapers have been available in Australia since 1991. A couple of years ago, I'm happy to say, Jason and Kim bought the rights to the rest of the world and brought Gdiapers to America.

Like I said, I have been spending a lot of time researching cloth diapering options. There are many. And to be honest, when I first found out I was pregnant, I wasn't totally sure I'd go all the way cloth again. After the kids and I saw the video here which shows the biodegradablitiy of a gdiaper insert next to disposable diapers, I knew I really couldn't come up with an excuse that I could swallow. I mean, I want this world to be a better world for my kids. I don't believe in a disposable planet. I sent the link to David and he was sold in a second. Of course, I kept looking online for all sorts of cloth diapering options... my hubby and daughter had already decided Gdiapers was the way to go. (my son isn't all that interested, I mean, he is eleven, and we are talking about diapers here.)

As if the product itself isn't amazing enough. This company runs on the philosophy of being real and genuine with everyone you encounter. That is something I can stand behind!

I have been in contact with people from Gdiapers. They are very personalble and helpful. Michelle, from Gdiapers, is going to be in DC today. When she first contacted me I thought that was cool, but was pretty sure I'd have a very newborn baby in my hands and that I'd not feel up to meeting for lunch or anything. Well... that babe is still neatly contained and rather portable in my ever growing tum-tum... soooo I'm happy to say that I very shortly I shall be meeting Michelle and some other area gmums & gdads for lunch.

Who knows... maybe the baby was just waiting to be born to give me the chance to meet Michelle! =)

2007-09-11T07:07:00.001-07:00

"Childhood is a precious and non-renewable resource that must be
carefully conserved and protected." - Rachel Berg Bithell

Gandhi

2007-08-29T09:27:00.000-07:00

"It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result."

~ Mahatma Gandhi

yes sir... that's my babies!

2007-07-30T17:33:00.000-07:00

http://illoicious.blogspot.com/2007/07/coolest-cutout-animals-ever.html

True Love

2007-07-22T05:45:00.000-07:00

this post was one I was thinking about after finally getting my hands on HP7!! * it took long enough! *

After hearing a friend that she hopes her hubby realizes how much she loves him, letting him read the HP7 first I decided to post this...

hee hee.... I feel the same way about letting my son read it before I've finished. TRUE LOVE!! =)

here's how it is in our house...

I read ch.1, then handed the book (that was difficult, but I had agreed to it) to my 11 yo for 30 minutes... then I read again...
then hubby came home with our daughter (9)... they were out scootering & skateboarding and having the best of daddy-daughter time...,

I was reading, and chuckling aloud... and after hubby's comments of "not fair".. I asked if he wanted to read too... "'OF COURSE!" was his reply... so I gracefully handed the book over to him (after I finished the chapter!)

he read a little.. we ate dinner... the boy grabbed the book and started reading again... the girl got a bath, with the promise that I'd read a little to her before bed... We have always read Harry Potter out loud, and so we continue with this last installment.

SO I read one chapter to the girl... Continued reading a to myself.... handed the book over to the boy, with the stipulation that he not stay up too late reading... we told him 10 pm, but then let him read 'just one more chapter.. PLEASE!!" okay, go ahead, kid... "ALRIGHT!" =)

Hubby and I watched Premonition with Sandra Bullock... I thought it was a movie with potential, but sadly unfulfilled.
Then I read another chapter and headed off to bed.

Hubby stayed up late drawing....

and I woke this morning planning to eat and read and the boy has the book in his hot little hands... the nerve of him! =)

Actually, I'm reminded of the first time the boy admitted guiltily that he didn't actually go to bed on time but stayed up with a flashlight and HP5 under his covers .... We had been reading that one aloud as well, but he couldn't stand the wait and would read ahead to himself. It was his first BIG THICK book that he was reading to himself. And we were proud. =)

to think how many wonderful worlds of words he has since devoured. =)

waiting and waiting and waiting

2007-07-20T10:54:00.001-07:00

and yes... stalking the ups site for tracking info... anxiously awaiting that truck with the much anticipated package containing THE BOOK.

oooh will it ever get here???

We decided to skip the parties and ordered home delivery in our efforts maintain our own impervious charm regarding spoilers.

Now that the kids are older and huge fans it was a big decision.. to go and be surrounded by other potter fiends. Dressed in costume as they most certainly would have been, playing games as the air grows heavy waiting for that minute after midnight when the books are finally released to the public. Released to me. ... or to enjoy the quiet orderly and timely delivery from our friendly (are they friendly, I don't really know ours) ups man (or woman).

we went for quiet, orderly, TIMELY delivery in the comfort of our home.

Now , as silly as it may be.... I find myself going back to UPS tracking site... I know my book left Landover MD for its final destination at 10:48 AM.... (aghast I was to find it sat there waiting to be loaded onto that final truck for eight hours and forty eight whole long minutes. DO THEY NOT KNOW ??? ) I'm WAITING!!!

We spent the week listening to Jim Dale tell us the familiar tale, the next to the last (or is it?) book. We discussed possible endings, deaths... whose would be hardest to handle.. whose we just could never accept.
We spent time contemplating good vs evil...

and now we wait.

waterbirth!

2007-07-14T15:19:00.000-07:00

Water Birth with Barbara Harper radio interview

Have you ever thought of having your baby in water? Why are more and more birth centers and hospital birth rooms using birth tubs? One of the most comfortable ways to handle the pains and tensions of labor is soaking and floating in warm water. In this week’s Timely Topics in Childbirth we will explore waterbirth and the issues surrounding this controversial way to bring a baby into the world.

Barbra Harper RN, founder and director of Waterbirth International Resource and Referral Service, has been researching and documenting waterbirth and gentle birth since 1983. An internationally recognized expert, she lectures and consults within hospitals, birth centers and universities on the issues and application of water birth.

Waterbirth International Resource and Referral Service

a freakin' felony???

2007-07-12T06:57:00.000-07:00

a freakin' felony???

it amazes and angers me that politics would ever be involved in a woman's choice for prenatal care..

midwifery a felony.. PULEEEZE.
ugh.

I think this Sen John Loudon is fast becoming my very favorite Republican ever.

Columbia Tribune

Reproductive war’s new front line
Midwifery provides cost-effective health care.

By JENNIFER BLOCK
Published Tuesday, July 10, 2007
In May, just before legislators were to recess for summer, Republican state Sen. John Loudon pulled a fast one. He snuck a one-sentence amendment having to do with women’s reproductive choice into an otherwise unrelated 123-page health insurance bill that Gov. Matt Blunt was certain to sign. The measure was approved unanimously before anyone noticed the add-on, and when they did, it caused such a ruckus that Loudon was stripped of his committee chairmanship.

Reproductive politics is war, and this was exactly the kind of sneak attack you’d expect from a partisan politician. Except that this amendment wasn’t about abortion. Actually, it supported a woman’s right to choose - a midwife, that is.

Lobbyists in Missouri tried to legalize midwives for decades. You heard that right. In Missouri and 10 other states, independent midwives cannot get a license, which drives them to practice out of state or underground. Loudon sponsored a bill that would have licensed and regulated certified professional midwives - CPMs, whose credentials are recognized explicitly or implicitly in most other states - and it was finally close to passing when a lone senator filibustered, killing it. So Loudon got creative, and literary, and quietly slipped some Victorian lexicon into the widely popular bill.

The amendment grants anyone with "tocological certification" the right to practice. Tocological is derived from the Greek word "tocos," which means birth. It was code for the CPM credential. Blunt signed the bill into law on June 4.

And faster than you can say tocological, the Missouri State Medical Association was in court, suing for malpractice.

The doctors claim that recognizing CPMs will make birth less safe. That’s incorrect. Midwives provide evidence-based care, and studies show they promote optimal births. A 2005 study of 5,000 low-risk women who planned home births with CPMs in North America - the largest such study to date, published in the British Medical Journal - found that 95 percent of the women had spontaneous, vaginal births, and their babies did just as well as babies born to healthy women in the hospital. The low-risk women who receive traditional obstetric care have far higher rates of cesarean surgeries and other invasive procedures.

CPMs aren’t nurses or doctors. They are trained to be the primary-care providers for normal pregnancy and childbirth in an out-of-hospital setting. Midwives are regarded with suspicion by many Americans, but in much of the industrialized world they are the norm - a woman only sees an obstetrician if she has a problem - and these countries have a far superior track record than we do in the United States. The women there have fewer cesareans, fewer birth injuries and fewer deaths.

In some states, such as New Mexico and Tennessee, CPMs are health-care providers like any other, who list themselves in the Yellow Pages and get reimbursed by Medicaid. In other states, such as Illinois and Indiana, they are outlaws. In such places, women who want an alternative to the hospital must go underground and find an illegal provider. As they give birth, they are accomplices to a criminal offense.

In Missouri, it’s a felony.

The Missouri State Medical Association would rather keep it that way. Arguing in court for an injunction last week, the physicians group claimed that the midwifery measure is unconstitutional because it is unrelated to the larger thrust of the insurance bill, which Blunt lauded as expanding Missourians access to health care. Here, too, the doctors are wrong: Midwives provide cost-effective care to which many women are now being denied access. And don’t consumers have the right to choose where and with whom they give birth? This is not only a major public health issue, it’s a women’s rights issue.

You don’t typically hear Sen. Loudon defending women’s reproductive choice - he’s one of the state’s most vocal abortion opponents - but here he’s proved himself a surprise hero. The chief opponent to the midwifery bill - the one who filibustered, Chuck Graham turns out to be a pro-choice democrat. Surely Loudon wouldn’t want to be labeled a champion of women’s reproductive choice, and Graham wouldn’t want to be branded a foe. But in this instance, the two men have swapped places.

Perhaps Graham and his physician allies could instead follow the lead of Sheldon Wasserman, an obstetrician and democratic state representative in Wisconsin. Last year, he voted for a bill that licensed CPMs in his state. "If women have the right to decide on abortion, don’t they have the right to decide where they give birth?" he said.

Missouri CPMs should be able to practice in the open. It makes the most sense all around, especially in the "Show Me State."

Jennifer Block is the author of "Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care" (Da Capo, 2007).

7.7.07 happy family! =)

2007-07-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

This is us at the Smithsonian Folk Festival on the mall. July 7, 2007

happy sleepy pregnant mama!

2007-07-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

this one was mid june...

and this is July 6, 2007

bla bla blog

2007-07-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I don't blog more.

Remember? where

2007-05-03T18:43:00.000-07:00

by GKB, almost 9 yrs old

time to come out with it already!! =)

2007-04-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

I've been kinda holed up here most of this year.. or it feels that way some days! This weather doesn't help much... that is unless I'm looking for an excuse to be lazy, then the weather is a great help! ha.
We have some exciting news... news that I have only just started sharing. I am four months pregnant!!! We are thrilled. Hubby and I only told the kids one month ago. They (or at least our daughter) was enjoying knowing this secret, but we've started telling people.. because quite frankly, it's starting to be obvious... at least in real life! ;)

Our son is not as excited as our daughter about the idea of a baby around here, but I know he'll warm up to the idea when the time comes. It is funny because I point out things about this pregnancy that I never much took notice to in the past. For instance... to an eleven year old boy, the fact that this little creature growing inside me is currently covered in hair .. that's just cool! And for me, anything that makes the baby's big brother more interested is definitely cool! ;)

I've been a lot better this time about taking things easy, too. With my son, who is now 11... I worked up till 7 1/2 or 8 months... then we moved across the country... I still say I got the best sleep of my life when I was prego w/ him and working... I was so dang tired! LOL

with my daughter, I was taking care of my son, so I'd carry him, even when he was a little big for me to do that... and of course, I was a young little 'super mom'... I don't have that same mental hang up this time... I have two able bodied helpers around here, and I'm much better about just saying the heck with some things if I need to and not feeling so guilty. I don't know if it's the wisdom or laziness of age.. but it serves me well this time... so I'll take it!

And at 13 weeks, we heard our little heart beating... and I was pretty sure I started feeling little flutters a couple weeks later...

On Friday we had another check up and another chance to hear our little heart. It was beating nice and strong and was simply music to my ears... cliche' as that is.. I can't help it. Hearing that beat, knowing it's strong and all is well.. It's the biggest rush.
After the midwife took the doppler off my tummy I felt that flutter I mentioned. It was awesome because it gave me a conclusive proof that the flutter was our baby! Now I'm much more relaxed and interestingly, I feel those flutters even more often.

I'm actually looking forward to those full out kicks... ( Like that statement won't come back to haunt me!)
I remember seeing feet move across my belly with the other two... Or an elbow... and my son would always get the hickups. I wonder what is in store with this little one.

I'm growing, and still hungry all the time, so I keep telling myself all is well. I feel great really. I love being pregnant!

only enough time for a "Holy Cow Moment!"

2007-01-13T13:35:00.000-08:00

holy cow...
I have officially been a mama now for eleven years.

more later, I'm sure.

Lunch... it just keeps getting better and better!

2007-01-09T13:57:00.001-08:00

Bento TV

I have to say, I'm looking forward to this little online "tv" show. It's bentos bentos and more bentos... (a bento is a little lunch box.... japanese style... similar to the laptop lunchbox that I mentioned earlier.) Bento TV is a daily video blog featuring bento recipes, bento packing tips, and demos of bento making tools.

bring on the bentos. ;)

stuff and nonsense.

2007-01-07T12:35:00.001-08:00

Today we took down the xmas tree and other decorations, successfully adding quite a few usable square feet to our apartment ( don't tell the property managers, I'm sure they'd want to up the rent) In the process we also cleared out some other things. (thank you Freecycle!) I have another post cooking up in my mind right now.. very sentimental... regarding the end of the season, the tossing of the gingerbread house... I took pictures.. my eyes got wet. It may or may not make that final leap from my brain to the screen or pages of my journals.. we'll see... many things somehow don't make that final leap..

this quote was on the signature line of someone who plans to pick up our "random bag of electronic junk". Seriously. I love Freecycle!

"If you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a nation."
~ ancient African proverb

Nick Graham of Truman, Minnesota

2007-01-03T19:54:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the story of The Youngest Grocer in America ... a seventeen year old kid in a small town. He bought the store to keep it open. Now he runs the only grocery store in Truman, Minnesota!

You might want to thank The Target Coach for that story. If I hadn't seen it there first, I might have left you with these instructions for making sauerkraut. I never realized there was so much to sauerkraut... or that it was so good for you. According to the people at www.sauerkraut.com we should really all be eating much more...

I wonder if they sell it in Truman....

a knife by any other name

2006-12-29T08:37:00.000-08:00

so I'm cutting up a squash and thinking , like I always do when I cut a squash, "THere has to be an easier way!!!"

so now I'm googling electric knives. I never thought I'd want to own one... having always considered electric knives a tool for the carnivore at thanksgiving, but now I'm thinking this just might be the easier way.

or maybe I need a chainsaw... I always liked the WRRRRRRRRRR sound... such power..
uh... right.

anwyay.. can anyone recommend a good electric knife ... what do I look for? what to avoid???

I'm finding they are also good for slicing fresh baked bread.. (who knew?? I didn't!)

First day of the laptop lunch!

2006-12-28T14:05:00.000-08:00

David has been wanting the laptop lunch box that is used at Vegan Lunch Box .... so I splurged (using a code I found online so I saved 10%) and got it for him for Christmas. You can buy one from Laptop Lunches . I am a little worried that it won't be enough food, but he thinks it will be just enough, limiting any extra unnecessary snacking.

It certainly looks nice all packed up in neat little spots. I'm worried it will mean I'll have to get creative with his lunches... and on the other hand, I'm looking forward to getting creative with his lunches ;)

I may just create a similar lunch system for the kids and myself. I'll probably opt for making it myself piecemeal and perhaps making or using one of the bags we already have... time will tell.

I plan to look in China town for other such Bento Boxes. I also saw some nice smaller size containers at Safeway. When the kids and I go out places, I like to pack lunches or snacks in little containers rather than baggies to avoid breakage or mashed sandwiches (YUCK). This piecemeal packing thing will simply mean more planning initially, which will only help in the long run.

as always... time will tell.

tis the season....

2006-12-18T08:58:00.000-08:00

Here is my daughter writing Christmas letters to friends by the light of her homemade menorah. =)

busybusybusy

2006-12-16T10:05:00.000-08:00

I swear I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, although it would appear that was the case from my lack of posting...

I think i just got tangled up in yarn and haven't stopped long enough to share what I've been up to!
I have to post the back packs and a few other things...

2006-12-16T10:03:00.000-08:00

"Fight fot your opinions but do not believe that they contain the whole truth, or the only truth."

~ Charles A. Dana (1819-1897)

2006-11-05T07:57:00.001-08:00

me and my little girl

2006-11-03T15:52:00.000-08:00

cuddling

I took and sent this from my cel. =)

mobile on the go.. and in the kitchen!

2006-10-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

too cool.. I can post blog pictures FROM My PHONE!!!! This could be fun... especially for I Dressed Myself!

Piper's Blanket!

2006-10-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to post a picture of Piper's finished blanket. I posted when I started . Now all I have to do is box it and ship it.

first you box it. then you ship it.

Clear the coffee table... Get in touch with your Pan.

2006-09-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

CLEAR THE COFFEE TABLE, an activity brought to me by Brave Writer. The basic idea is that before bed, mom clears off the coffee table and places on it some item and see what happens... Julie of Brave Writer explained it like this.

"Before bed after kids are asleep, put something brand new on the
table (it doesn't have to be something you purchase - even surprise
library books or a photo album that has been lost in the back of a
closet, a sewing machine that spent too long in the basement or a dog
leash with a box of treats to use on a long walk in the park, will work).

The idea is to stimulate some new interest or something new to do that
hasn't been done for awhile or ever."

~~~~~

I sort of cheated at this clear the coffee table game... but seeing as I have no coffee table, I had to!=) Instead of clearing the coffee table, my eight year old daughter showed me a section of her bookshelf that has been feeling neglected. Up to this point her reading has been in fits and starts. She has improved so very much, but goes through stages where she'd rather do anything than to read to me. My son is not one for oral reading, unless he finds something he must share! But he is easily lost in books, so it is not a worry of mine. And thankfully, we all enjoy it when I read aloud.

We have a small collection of various books from Disney. I think they were freebies that we collected some many years ago. Now, as a family, we have always loved all things Peter Pan. My son recently discovered the fantastic tales contained in J.M Barrie's book. My daughter and I have begun reading it to each other. However, the clear the coffee table moment far exceeded my expectations!

She picked a book, Return to Neverland, based on the Disney Movie of the same title. She began to read it to me. Actually, she began to read it to herself. Then when I curled around her, she gladly read to me. We stopped for a little break and when I came back into the room she was pondering how to make a Pan costume for her doll. I found some green felt and we got busy. Her new Peter doll (previously a Groovy Girl boy named Dillon) now has new shoes, a tunic, dagger and a wonderful hat which she designed and sewed herself. This creative dressing also inspired my daughter to create a little Peter Pan outfit of her own.

Pictures of both were originally posted here...
I Dressed Myself

She finished reading the book to me today. I was very proud, although she was disappointed. I can understand that, as I often feel that way about a story that I love. Tonight we are watching the movie and she plans to 'compare them' (her words!)

I should add that she pulled The Lion King out as well. She told me she intends to read it and then we'll watch the movie to see how they are different. I'm loving that she has discovered and is enjoying these books.

This coffee table (or table free as we are) activity is a fantastic way to spark interests and shake things up a bit. It is a definite do-over for us!

something exciting happened on the way to the kitchen

2006-08-28T09:17:00.000-07:00

I have some pretty big news. My husband has published his very first book! After many years of writing, shelving, writing, shelving and finally illustrating in a sporadic 10 months, Road Trip with Rabbit and Squash is complete.

We are very excited and think (HECK< I KNOW!) you will enjoy it, too!

Please let me know what you think about the website and the blog, and of course feel free to share your excitement as well.

Feedback, feedback, feedback, please!! =)

The book is available for purchase and will be a lovely addition to any home, school, or public library!

As an added bit of coolness regarding Road Trip with Rabbit and Squash by David J. Billings. If you go to Google News and type in David Billings, you can see the latest press release!

Please check it out , as well as the website

Road Trip Book

Or, if you prefer, feel free to buy your copy today!

And do please let me know what you think.

I am VERY excited and thrilled to be sharing our news with you! =)

Jenni Billings

Illustration Friday ~ Play!

2006-08-11T15:13:00.000-07:00

Our contributions to Illustration Friday
by GKB age 8
Today's Illustration Friday topic is "Play". I adore what GKB has drawn. She drew the American Sign Language sign for "play" in the upper left corner . (thumb and pinky out ~ hang loose style ~ pivot at the wrist) She also included her 'favorite people to play with'. What I love most is that they all have a piece of paper in their hands. This is because this morning (after a sleep over with a friend visiting from the other side of the country) all the kids were sitting at the table drawing various things. These pictures are pure imagination. They feed their active play later in the day, and listening to the chatter that takes place while they draw is unparalleled! For that very reason she included a pencil as a "favorite playmate" !

I will update this if her brother gives me something to post. Right now they are all far too busy playing =)

Opposites

2006-07-29T14:24:00.000-07:00

by JRWB, age 10

This was from an illustration Friday prompt from a couple of weeks ago.

Happy Pregnant Girl

2006-07-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

by GKB, age 8

Braids inspired by Tanya

Sacrifice!

2006-07-14T08:01:00.000-07:00

our contributions to Illustration Friday

by JRWB age 10

I started Piper's blanket!

2006-06-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

I'm crocheting this, rather than knitting it, because my little girl (age8) has recently learned to crochet, and I thought she'd like to add a stitch or two to this baby blanket. It is for our friend who swore he'd never have kids... of course , he swore he'd never get married..

first comes love, then marriage.. and in September comes Piper in a baby carriage.

Under the Sea!

2006-04-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

our contributions to Illustration Friday

again, I went with the literal. "under the C" by Jenni

"Sea Monster" by JRWB age 10

"My Daddy Surfin'" in chalk on blacktop By GKB age 7

Robot Parade!

2006-04-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

This will mark my first submission for Inspiration Friday. I figured I'd get the whole family involved. Below are the robots made by me and those made by my kids. My husband will probably be submitting his later.

"Row, Bot!" By Jenni

"Mercat" by GKB, age 7

"Construction Unit # 2" By JRWB, age 10

"Mermaid Robot" by GKB, age 7

"Police Unit # 16" by JRWB, age 10

"Butterfly Mermaid" by GKB, age 7

"Pretty Girl Mermaid" by GKB, age 7

EDIT!!!
here is a link to my hubby's robot!

David's Robot

so many cool blogs out there.

2006-04-17T14:52:00.000-07:00

so many inspirational creative people.. so many theme a day sites... so much to do, so little time.

Cre8in!

2006-04-05T06:32:00.000-07:00

I plan to use this space to record all things crafty that I find myself doing. For instance... I've just started knitting!

I knit therefore I am!

it's addictive.