Alter Me

2 blogs?

Well, I think I may have 2 blogs running for awhile... this one for art and stuff (yes, I know I'm behind - promise to update soon!) and this one as a little experiment about NI life http://alterme.typepad.com/ramblings_of_an_irish_tex/ .  So, if anyone's still out there, bear with me on both of them!

videos and sports day....

Sports day was FANTASTIC.  Lots of relay races, tug of war, 3 legged race.... and a very proud wee man.  And parent participation.  ;0)  I can't upload pics as other people's kiddiwinks would be in them (and I wouldn't want to do that without their permission).

Here's a quick video of Calum in June.  Enjoy.  :0)

Custom Made...

A friend of mine asked me to make this page ("Pray") based on my "Play" page last year...  I hope she likes it....

 

 

Thanks for looking....

Tongue twisters and maths.

This is Calum reading our fav Dr Seuss book (Fox on Socks -a tongue twister) at the aiport.  He's big into Dr Seuss and also Usborne beginner learner books at the minute.  This book is GREAT fun....  He's also into numbers and seems to have picked up adding and subtracting without any problem.  I can remember struggling big time even in kindergarden with that.  He's just a numbers whizz!  (Must get that from Simon...)    Ta for now. x x x

messing about

Messing about with the cuttlebug, paint, mica, foam, glaze and a martha stewart punch to make a tiny cuttlebug atc

I've also played with the Sizzix folders and texture plates and am happy to say that they work very well with the bug!  I also tried the Fiskars stamp machine, which I saw and bought on a whim....  It's okay - didn't realise it only worked with certain stamp pads and polymer stamps.  Not sure how much I'll use it.  And I tried out the Cricut colour inks - fun stuff!

Texas pics

Well, we're back!  We had a fab time...  I have hundreds of pics, but I've just chosen a few to show here.....

-fav wagon (at Dad and T's), watching catepillars with D, playing the slot machine (LOL), doing super-hero poses in his custom made "C" cape with his cousin, L.

 

With our friend K, with Mom, and cool dudes in sunglasses

cascarones (confetti egg) fun and Easter crackers

Dad and C, Mom, me and C, me and C, ball games with Dad, chilling out, more confetti fun

feeding animals, wagon fun

kites, dear friends, sprinklers!!!!

balls, bubbles, dancing

 

grandparents, dear friends

Giggles, music and dancing....

Highlights - giggles with Gracie, my bday, mini-musican, dancing with Debra, playing ball.

Texas adventures with wee people....

More holiday clips - A salesman in the making, grandparents, singing in the bathroom, air hockey, park, Vegas baby, peanut-dog..... Not on video - snake in swimming pool.............!!!!!! and visits with Jack, Mel, Ant and Greg xxxxx

an Irish "y'all" and more hols stuff....

We've spent the last few days at Dad's and T's house.  Here's a quick clip - Easter fun, bubbles, confetti eggs, snakes (!), cats.... I should've also recorded the sprinkler fun - next time..............

And another one-liner from Calum upon discussing how he was the biggest baby in NICU:  "Was I the winner baby, Mommy?"  Errr.....!

Easter crackers, cascarones and sunglasses

Here's some Easter fun with Calum and his cousin. The cracker incident, cascarones and sunglasss are my favourite bits. :0)

holidays :0)

Good morning, up early (from 4.30) with my silly body clock. :0)

 

The trip has been smooth sailing.  Calum was an absolute star and great fun on the journey.  He watched 2 movies on the plane, played games on the TV and read some books.  Then we plane-watched from Newark, visited some shops (got some Hot Wheels from a Toy shop and a Critter robot, too cool, http://www.naturestapestry.com/critter.html) and played with some kids - no probs (8 hr layover).  And he even charmed the pilot and had him waving from the cockpit... And of course, all of the Americans we met just sat and listened to his accent and his expressive, arm-waving descriptions of all things dear to him.........

fyi, here's an example of the wind-up robot.... these are fabulous!

 

 I've taken some pics, but I'll upload them later (after the trip)... So far,we've taken it fairly easy, did some shopping, went to the park and just chilled out.   I had a good laugh in Wal-Mart when we had to go to the men's department to buy Calum's groovy new sunglasses...........  He has a big head like his mommy........  Got him some good outdoor toys, too, which he's loving (hard to video stuff like that since I'm playing LOL).   

 

he's also loving seeing cats.... and playing with my old doll house. :0)  all kids love miniature things, i think.

 

And we got some GREAT books from borders.... Now I just need to find a Target to get him the ANAMALZ wooden bendy animal toys. :0)

 

yay for holidays!

 

so, courtesy of my new flip, here's a quick little film....

 

testing my new flip video camera...

i love this video camera!  easy to use, easy to upload, easy to make movie mixes, easy to email, easy to use with FB, now testing it with typepad....

March madness

Hello again.  It has been HECTIC.  Life has finally slowed down enough for me to share a few updates with you.... Sim's recovering from surgery and is doing pretty well.  I've been working.....   And per usual, the wee man has kept us laughing:
1.  When the nurse was taking Simon's blood pressure, Calum asked if she was "plugging Daddy in to make him go faster." 
2.  He announced that having the sniffles was "smelling backwards."
3.  He gives kisses (reluctantly) or blows kisses, and he told his Nan he was giving her a "kiss with no blow."

He also keeps asking if I'll stay with him when I'm 90.  He thinks I'll be retired then LOL and will be able to play all day, no bad workies....

We've been playing a lot the last few days.  Here are some quick self-snaps with the iphone...........

Yesterday

That's about it for me - catching up on all the stuff that matters. xxx  :0)

little sketch

just a quickie sketch - Klimt sketch - pen, various paints, fiber gel, tyvek - doodles while Calum made stuff :0)

more snow today :0)

 

 

and some experimenting... below is calendar vinyl 'stamped' with an inked clay mold....

cuttlebug playtime

Calum and I have been playing with the Cuttlebug.  :0)  I painted this postcard one day when he was making something...   And then I added cuttle swirls and cuttle dots and shiva paintsticks.  no work of art but it was therapeutic. :0)

Calum also did the swirls and dots - inversed :0) and painted...

 

And  then I did some quick Cuttle Valentines... more swirls and hearts with paint, embossing powder, shiva paintsticks, mica, vellum and ribbon. 

:-)

super snow!

Snow pics....

Stories...

1.  Me - "You stole too many kisses.  I'll have to steal some back."  C - "No, Mommy.I didn't. You have to drink water to get more kisses."  LOL.

2.  Me to C - I try to get him to calm down when he's frustrated... So when I was playing Mario Kart (and losing), he said, "Think happy thoughts, Mommy."  LOL!!!!!

3.   C- "Do you need a ladder to go up to the angels? Or an angel astronaut with a rocket? And do angels have birthdays? And shops?"

Snowball fight :0)

  (Sorry  - I tried to put this at the beginning, but mozilla won't let me...  Lots of gigles and a happy labrador as a bonus. :0)  )

Jolly January....

The wee man starts toddler football later today.  He is soooo excited!!!!!  Here's his first football kit.  He wants to get a shirt with a number on it....

Toddler Football

Calum singing the snowman song :0)  (Let's hope this works...)

 

He's full of fizz as usual.  He is talking us in circles now...  always has an idea or answer LOL.  I wish I had written down some of his arguments earlier in the week - made me laugh....

 

catching up

hello.....  well, i've decided to keep this little journal going... i need somewhere to remember the little things (which are the most important things). 

so what's new here?  calum had his 4th birthay party - so much fun.  :0)  he's making some great friends.  he even held his best pal's hand and ran around the soft play centre - and best friends are special - so glad he has one.

he told his daddy that he (his daddy) knows everything.  he's daddy's boy at the moment.  he's looking forward to some toddler football with daddy, too.

he's also quite the negotiator now.  we had a full scale discussion on why he should be allowed to play mario-kart.  he argued that it wasn't a tv programme - quite convincingly - and even tried to persuade all of us that his daddy agreed to it (and daddy was there). lol.  were were so impressed with his confidence and powers of persuasion that we gave in....

and some other notes from the last few months:

He was a wee star at his auntie's wedding. he danced the night away. :0)  (there are other folks in those pics, so i would need their permission to post them.)

a rare pic of the 3 of us.... although it's not the best of me, it's nice to have one of us altogether.

 

more random notes....

Many a sentence begins, “Calum’s yellow house will have…”

“Calum will work at your work, Mommy.”

“Have fun at work, Mommy.”

“I love cleaning toilets.”  (He has  a turn with the brush…. I am sure this will change!)

xmas shopping pics :0)

Waiting for Spongebob and SAnta.....

Played Santa in the school play – did great dancing, wasn’t too fussed on singing.  (Movie coming shortly…)  He was SO proud of himself. J 

No pic yet of school santa, but here's one from his auntie's trip with him.

Loved having his own special day for his birthday. J  Made the cake, helped decorate the room. (see pics above  - out of order, apologies...)

Jumped up and down with excitement on Xmas Eve. J   Left out carrots for the reindeer, a biscuit and milk for Santa, chews for Santa Dog and tuna for Santa Cat.  Saw Santa’s footprints the next morning.

Refused to open a present early LOL – said we had to wait until Xmas.  And he adored receiving Xmas cards.  He’s now into cards in a big way…

Loves spinning in his egg-chair.

Makes great train tracks with his Ikea trains.

Asks "why" a lot.  Is fascinated with space.

Has a “crunchy can” hand – that can crunch things….

Loves making cakes but doesn’t eat them.

Is big into the Mr Men and Little Miss books and DVDs.

Told me Nan and Dan would grow him a baby.  Talks about his babies a lot.  (I think he’s given up on me having one!)

Wants to know all about when he was in my tummy and when he was a baby.

Helps to make the dogs’ breakfast (puts Cheerios and a biscuit in their bowl).

Told me we needed glow in the dark paint for the house.

Tidies up the laundry – puts it in the basket – he’s a great wee helper.

Loves playing games and reading books.

Wants to go back to Disney with everyone together.

Wants to go to Texas and adores his cousin, Olivia.  Asked to speak to her lots of times over Xmas.

 

He's getting way too big way too fast......  All grown up.........  And he keeps telling me things he'll do for me lol - good as gold......

He also made a flower for Diz... and kept asking if it made her happy.  He is a sensitive soul.

And now - if you steal a kiss, he steals it back. :0)  :0)  :0)

We also have glow in the dark stars on his bed now.  We sing twinkle twinkle little star, and he does the 'twinkle stars' with his hands.

So - that's all quite random... but that's the Mr C update....  :0)

quiet reflection

I'm not too sure about this blog at the moment, but I haven't made a firm decision about whether to keep it or not.  So, I'll post a bit here about recent times.  :0)

Stories:

Calum (with a cold/flu), thinking about a bad cough:  "What's a good cough, Nan?"

Me to Calum:  "I am so happy/proud to be your mommy.  I got the best boy."   Calum:  "Mommy, I got the mommy I wanted."  Awww..........

First proper haircut pics

Family Visit pics

Halloween pics

Hen night pics

let's just say I was *very* bad at golf.  in this pic, i managed to hit the thing that holds the ball - but not the ball.  shouldn't there be bonus points for that?