• Crazy Kids,  Family,  Travel

    Texas, Part II

    I'm soooooo happy to have my Bean home again! My goodness, she's been gone since June 2nd and we've all missed her very badly. She even started crying when she hugged me in the airport, and then of course I welled up… My Sweet Sabrina is home.

    And now… I need to get the rest of these Dallas photos posted!

    As I mentioned yesterday, I didn't take my camera with me to Hurricane Harbor, so you lucked out on Day #2. However, Day #3 was spent in downtown Dallas with my camera in hand, and let me be the first to tell you – my sister is one hard chicky to keep up with. But we managed, and Audrey only had to ask us a few times if we were ready to call it quits yet.

    Our first stop downtown was to the Dallas World Aquarium…

    Texas tp 28
    Texas tp 29
    Texas tp 30
    Texas tp 31
    Texas tp 32

    Here's Neenee, throwing a tantrum… poor Neenee!! (She was mad that Sophie could reach the information monitors and she couldn't.)

    Texas tp 33
    And here's Neenee a little while later, throwing another tantrum. (She was still mad that Sophie could reach the monitors.)

    Texas tp 34
    And now she's really mad, bc Sophie isn't getting mad back.

    Texas tp 35
    Or maybe she was mad that I was taking her picture while she was throwing a tantrum.

    After the Aquarium, we drove further into the city and passed the famous Sixth Floor building…

    Texas tp 37

    …And then on to yet another cupcake shop: The Cupcakery.   

    Texas tp 38

    Texas tp 39
    Texas tp 40
    Texas tp 41
    Texas tp 42
    Texas tp 43
    Texas tp 44
    Neenee wanted Sophie to try her orange cupcake…

    Texas tp 45
    I could be way off base here, but I'm guessing she didn't like it.

    Once we were in the car again, Neenee entertained herself with her new maracas that her mommy surprised her with…

    Texas tp 46
    Texas tp 47 
    (That was my favorite picture of her.)

    Texas tp 48
    Then it was off to the Country Marketplace for vegetables! Audrey makes the best roasted veggies with olive oil…

    Texas tp 49

    And she puts dill in absolutely everything!

    Texas tp 51

    Here are the girls, playing with a digital scale. Natalie is quite satisfied that she can "reach" this one…

    Texas tp 50

    Texas tp 53 

    Sophie adores her baby niece…

    Texas tp 52
    Audrey was NOT kidding when she told me they had hundreds of different kinds of cheeses!

    Texas tp 54
    Texas tp 55
    And since I'm a sucker for olives, I had to take a picture of only a portion of the olive bar…     
     
    Texas tp 56
    The flowers were beautiful! Any kind you could think of! I loved all the signs over the different sections…

    Texas tp 57
    What a fabulous shopping center this is… there were so many samples of things to be eaten, one would never have to actually cook anything on the day one visited. :)  I wish we had one of these where I live… everything from the soup bar to the bakery to the vintage-style candy was outstanding!

    We made our purchases, and out into the intense Texas heat we went again. In the car, Sophie decided to help Natalie cool off by covering her in baby wipes…

    Texas tp 58
    Texas tp 59
    Since it was still going to be a few hours before dinner (roasted vegetables with angel hair pasta) was going to be ready, we made a quick stop for the best tacos I've ever eaten

    Texas tp 60
    Oh my goodness. I want one of these where I live too. If you've never had a Fuel City taco, drive there now.

    Home again, home again, to Audrey's house for dinner…

    Texas tp 61
    (That was its pre-cooked state.)

    It was so much fun sitting around Aud's living room with Shaun and Paul and the girls, just chatting and laughing. At one point, I realized that Paul and Audrey and I were reminiscing about our childhoods, just like I would hear my parents and aunts and uncles do when I was little, and I was quite amused by the thought… except I never heard them say things like "Man, I remember the time Mom tried spanking you and you farted on her hand."

    (My apologies to anyone who is offended by the word farted, which my mother had convinced us kids for years was the "f-word.") 

    On our last day, Shaun drove Sophie and I to my brother's workplace so we could say our goodbyes to him… in typical fashion, as soon as the camera was put away, Paul was all smiles again.

    Texas tp 36 
    (Btw, he was also smiling when he farted on our mom's hand.)

    And now Sophie and I are back home in fit-for-human temperatures, still unpacking and wishing we lived closer to Dallas.  It was a lovely visit with family. 🙂

  • Crazy Kids,  Family,  Travel

    Texas!

    I had a wonderful time visiting my family in Dallas this week! I took over 300 photos while Sophie and I were there, and that didn't include the day we visited Hurricane Harbor (I refuse to take my camera anywhere near splashing children)… but don't worry, I won't load them all here. 🙂

    After we drove the 45 minutes from the airport to my sister and brother in-law's home, we all went to an awesome Mexican restaurant called Abuelo's. This is my cutie-pie brother, Paul. I think he should apply to be on The Bachelor. (Oh quit rolling your eyes, Paul.)

    Texas tp 4

    And here's my favorite brother in-law, Shaun. On the drive from the airport, Sophie asked how long it would take to get to their house. "Twenty more minutes," Shaun said.

    "It's only been twenty minutes?" Sophie lamented.

    "Everything in Texas is bigger – even our minutes," Shaun said.

    Shaun cracks me up. 

    Texas tp 3
    (Don't you love his shirt? I bought that for him.)

    The next day we headed out for a day of shopping, our first stop being Sprinkles, which is a darling little cupcake shop…

    Texas tp 5

    Here's my sister, Audrey, holding our purchases…

    Texas tp 8

    Here's my favorite cupcake…

    Texas tp 6
    Texas tp 7
    Texas tp 9

    The heat was melting Natalie's chocolate-marshmallow cupcake before she could eat it…

    Texas tp 10

    After we were finished, we walked over to a nearby fountain that had caught our attention… it appeared as if someone had poured laundry detergent in it – not only from the enormous suds, but from the freshly-laundered smell!

    Texas tp 11
    Texas tp 12
    Texas tp 13 
    Our next stop was the Galleria Mall, and the first place we came to was Saks Fifth Avenue, and the first price tag I saw was for $1,989.00, attached to a homely dress.

    Saks Fifth Avenue cracks me up.

    Inside the mall there was an ice-skating rink. Sophie loves to ice skate, but Natalie had never been, so Sophie put on her teaching hat and went to work on her little cousin… watching her learn to walk in the skates was the cutest thing… Audrey and I couldn't stop giggling at her!

    Texas tp 14

    Audrey and I chewed most of our nails off, nervously waiting for Natalie to get the hang of it. Sophie was extremely patient, but for the most part, Neenee didn't want any help. It's both a terror and a blessing when a child has no fear – depending on which emotion wears you out first.

    Texas tp 15
    Texas tp 16
    Texas tp 17
    Texas tp 18
    Texas tp 22
    Texas tp 19
    Texas tp 20

    For two hours, Neenee was content to make her way around the rink with a death-grip on the railing. Kind of like how I choose to ice skate.

    I eventually ended up loaning her my jacket when she got chilly…

    Texas tp 21

    She loved "skating" as much as her older cousin did, but as worn out as Audrey was from the worry, I doubt she'll be taking her again any time soon. 🙂

    The next day we went to Hurricane Harbor, as I mentioned earlier. The heat was insane, but it was still a super fun time, and Soph and I got to ride a whopping two rides in 3 hours! Here's a photo of the girls in their matching outfits before we left…

    Texas tp 23
    One of the cutest things about Neenee is that she loves to have someone play Super Mario on her Nintendo DS while she sits close to them and watches. It keeps her entertained for hours – literally. Sophie played quite a bit for her, but once in a while Natalie take over the controls and become engrossed in the game…

    Texas tp 25
    Texas tp 26
    Texas tp 27
    She truly is a delight.

    Texas tp 24
    And on that note, I suppose I'll go. I'll get the rest posted tomorrow, but for now I have lots of laundry and cleaning and some stitching to do! Deadlines loom, and my backside hurts from sitting here editing all these photos!

    Btw, Sabrina called and said she's in Chicago now.. she'll be home in four hours, and I'm soooo excited to have her back!

  • Family

    Family.

    Sophie has only one cousin, named Natalie.

    Natalie has only one cousin, named Sophie.

    Sophie and Natalie were very happy to see each other, after such a long time apart.

    Texas tp 1

    Texas tp 2
    The end. 

  • Stitching

    Finishes!

    I thought yesterday's post would be my last for a week or so, but I found some extra time on my hands before I leave for the bustling city of Dallas, and thought I'd share some finishes that were sent to me!

    This is Salem Sisters II, from Marika.. she's a cyperpal of mine from New Orleans. One of these days I just might take you up on your offer of a Mardi Gras boa, Marika! 😉

    Marika
    Great job, and congrats on finally stitching something for yourself! 🙂

    These freebies were finished by Cathi in Berlin.. she made a few changes to them, and I think they turned out great!

    Cathi 2
    Cathi 1
    Thank you for sharing them, Cathi! (Btw, all freebies can be found in the "Freebie" link in the sidebar under Categories. 

    Here is Sandrine's Trifle for a Friend freebie.. beautiful colors, Sandrine! I love seeing how people have changed this chart to suit their tastes.

    Sandrine
    And finally, here is Margit from Germany's  Hares' Visit she made for a sick friend.. I love how Margit has put this together! What a kind friend you are to share a stitched piece with your friend, Margit, and I'm honored that you chose one of the hares to give to her. :)  

    Margit from Germany
    I'd like to thank you all for your lovely emails and shared finishes – they never cease to make me smile. Thank you!

    I'll see you all soon!

  • Crazy Kids,  Family

    Before I Go

    Joonie and I leave for Dallas tomorrow to see my brother and sister and her family, but before I go I'd like to share a few moments from our summer so far, here at chez Stewart.

    Breanna has been trying to charm me into buying her a new camera, pulling out her entire bag of tricks – deceitful sweet smiles and all…

    Breanna tp 7 
    But my answer is always the same: "You have a job."

    Breanna tp 8

    Last week I noticed Friday wouldn't stay out of the hostas. He and the other dogs kept sniffing around them and were very focused on whatever was living in the dense foliage. Before I knew it, my boy had grabbed a squirming little creature and gobbled it down. FRIDAY!!!!! THAT'S DISGUSTING AND YOU'RE A VERY NAUGHTY BOY, WHATEVER THAT THING WAS YOU JUST ATE! He and the other dogs went back to sniffing in the hostas, which prompted me to take a peek under the leaves…

    Bunny tp 1
    Looks like Little Bunny Foofoo was left without a sibling. Poor thing. With some difficulty, I rounded up the Mighty Hunters and shoo'd them into the house, allowing Foofoo to gather her wits and make her escape. It appears the Rodent Sympathizer in me won out over my inner Rabbit Nazi, who hates her begonias and marigolds and sweet potatoes being eaten while she sleeps. And lest I continue to speak in third person – which is something I despise almost as much as rabbits - Rabbit Nazi shall stop speaking now.

    Earlier in June, Sophie was having a sleepover with one of her many bff's, and the power went out. What's a pair of bff's to do? Since I don't collect flashlights, I only had one dimly-lit one on hand. However, since I do have a penchant for candles, I lit as many as I could and the girls used them to illuminate their game of Life. But first they had to organize all the game pieces, which was no easy task… (btw, all the power outtage photos are blurry bc I couldn't find my tripod in the dark.)

    Power tp 5
    Breanna and I decided to try "writing" with the camera and a candle flame, but we weren't very successful… this is Brea's attempt at spelling her name while I took the photo:

    Power tp 1
    When that didn't work, we had to find other ways to entertain ourselves…

    Power tp 3

    If Miss B's cell phone was out of commission, the world would be a dangerous place…

    Power tp 2 
    The girls' game of Life was going along smoothly, all things considered.

    Power tp 4
    When the game was finished, the bff's decided to make a scary video of themselves in the dark.  Here they are, watching the playback and enjoying their on-screen talents. I used a flash for this one, which is why it appears the power was back on…

     Power tp 6

    It was shortly after this point that Sophie's bff was heard to say, "It feels like we're Pioneer girls!"

    Which leads me to ask a burning question: Why didn't Laura Ingalls just text her dad with "Pa? Can you bring the wagon by and pick me up from the schoolhouse now? Nellie is being mean again."

    I was looking down at my camera settings, trying to see them the best I could so I could take Brea's photo, and she quickly rearranged herself for the camera, without my knowing. Of course, I didn't realize she'd done that until I looked into the viewfinder to see how the photo came out.

    Power tp 7
    I'm so proud.

    When the lights and power came back on, there were shouts of happiness from the bff's, and Breanna went back to texting.

    We interrupt this program to bring you a few moments from the beautiful country of Germany, where my middle child happens to be…

    There she is in a teen club, not realizing that her mother, who is in the USA, can spy on her via Facebook.

    Bean German Club
    And here she is with Katie, on a rooftop beach. In Germany. Why don't we have any rooftop beaches?

    Germany 18
    And I love this tunnel of flowers! Why don't we have any tunnels of flowers? (If you check my mom's blog, I bet she has a tunnel of flowers in her backyard somewhere.)

    Germany 19 
    We now return you to your regularly-scheduled program

    I wanted to go to a farmers market last weekend, but I was mistaken on the days it would take place. Instead of turning around and driving back home, Sophie and I stopped into Jones Brothers Cafe and had some lunch…

    Joonie tp 1 
    A few days later, I headed back out. But not to attend the farmers market; Breanna hadn't gotten to try the tart yogurts I'd been raving about at Jones Brothers, so I decided to take her there – and to snap a few pictures of her around the area while we were at it…

    Breanna tp 2
    Breanna tp 3
    Breanna tp 1 
    Suddenly, she was distracted by something on the wall…

    Breanna tp 4
    Breanna tp 5
    Breanna tp 6 
    It was an ant. This modern girl, who loves all things techno and gadgety, was enthralled with an ant. You'd have thought she was a pioneer girl or something.

    On Monday I took Soph to a brand new city pool. She'd been waiting not-so-patiently for it to open so she could try out the superslides! However, when she was finally able to do so, the idea was a little daunting… but she decided to face her fear and climb the long stairway to the top.   

    Pool tp 1
    There she is on the right, getting instructions on how to slide down properly…

    Pool tp 2 
    She squeezed her eyes shut and went for it!

    Pool tp 3 
    …And was very happy she did.

    Pool tp 4 
    Back up she went, about 400 more times…

    Pool tp 5
    Pool tp 6
    It was during this pool visit that Sophie's ears suddenly began to hurt. She had been complaining for a while that they seemed to be popping, so the next day I took her to the doctor. Turns out she has allergies, which are causing her ears to misbehave. She now has to take allergy medicine, which is a sad thing bc it has taken the edge off of her usually bright temperament. Even having her favorite food – grilled steaks - at her favorite place to eat – the back porch – did nothing to put her real smile back on her face.

    Cookout tp 1
    Cookout tp 2 
    My girl now knows what it feels like to experience the awful side effects of antihystamine tablets: welcome to zombieland, Sophie. I've lived there myself on occasion – although your dad would say it has nothing to do with allergy meds. I'll show him zombie.

    And that's about all I have left to get caught up on. I'm very excited to see my brother and sister and niece and brother in-law tomorrow, although I'm not looking forward to what the altitude will do to poor Soph's ears. 🙁 Hopefully her cousin will be able to make her smile again.

    If you send me any emails, I won't be able to respond until after the 24th. Until then, thanks for taking time to visit my blog, and I'll see you soon!

  • Family,  Ramblings

    Good Girl

    If I ever find myself in such an unstable state of mind that I consider acquiring another small dog, it would have to be a Japanese Chin. This dog is truly the epitome of charm and good manners. Except for when she's climbing into the open dishwasher or trash can, trying to find anything – and everything - to eat. We won't count those times.

    Tasha tp 6

    Tasha tp 5

    Tasha tp 2

    Tasha tp 3

    Tasha tp 4 

    Tasha tp 1 

    We also won't count the fact that she's snoring very loudly in the next room, and I can barely hear myself think.
     

  • Crazy Kids,  Family

    Appreciation Day

    Earlier this week Mike and I took Sophie and one of her bff's to the Firefighters and Police Appreciation Day celebration in a newly-developed area of the city. There was free food for all, a concert, bounce houses for the kids, and lots and lots and lots of testosterone. Which is probably why there was no alchohol served.

    Sophie and her bff had a great time, despite the long lines…

    Day tp 10 

    I find the little "tail" Sophie makes with her oversized t-shirts (using a rubber band) to be amusing. And while I don't find that particular shirt amusing, it's nice to be able to spot my child from 8 miles away.

    Day tp 11 

    Day tp 17 

    The inflatable obstacle courses are a favorite with pretty much any kid…

    Day tp 12 

    …and Sophie, being the rambunctious 10-year-old that she is, wound up with an aching back after this tumble:

    Day tp 13 

    Her bff, being the extreme girly-girl that she is, descended the slide a little more delicately:   

    Day tp 14 

    I'm not sure where else in the country they have Godfather's Pizza establishments, but around these parts, the "Godfather" is a fun celebrity to have around (bc he usually has free dessert coupons)…

    Day tp 15

    His "mobster face" cracks me up…

    Day tp 16

    Right across the street from the park was a little shop that caught my eye…

    Day tp 9 

    Mike and I sneaked off to check it out, thinking the girls wouldn't give a hoot that we were gone…

    Day tp 1 

    We were wrong.

    Day tp 3 

    (How did they know where to find us?)

    Day tp 4 

    Mike had been eyeballing a raspberry cupcake, and one of the owners (Mr. Bill Jones) took notice. He brought it over for Mike, which I thought was very sweet. While I was thanking him, Mike was gobbling it down.

    Day tp 2 

    Once the rapture of the raspberry topping was over, he came to his senses and spoke with another of the owners – Mr. Bill Jones' mom, Elizabeth Jones. She was such a sweet lady, and sat at our table talking to us about tart yogurts (which are out of this world, btw).

    Day tp 5 

    The employees were all so nice! The gentleman to the far left (I missed getting him all the way in the photo) is the Senior Mr. Jones, who is also one of the owners. Mike thought he looked awfully familiar, and eventually discovered that he and the Senior Mr. Jones had worked together when Mike was in the OPD's homicide unit. It turns out that Senior Mr. Jones does the OPD's autopsies, which Mike had to attend regularly.

    Only in America can one perform autopsies during the day and run a cupcake shop at night. (I wonder if the employees have any clue…)

    Day tp 6 

    I was enjoying some of the best coffee I've ever had… 

    Day tp 8

    And in the meantime, someone handed Mike a sample of raspberry tart yogurt, which meant he forgot that Mrs. Jones was speaking to him. So she drank her coffee instead…

    Day tp 7

    I just love this photo…

    Day tp 18

    Eventually we returned to the celebration we were supposed to be attending, and had a very enjoyable time. The girls were worn out by the time we left, so Mike stopped at a gas station to get them something to renew their energy. After all, they were getting ready to have a sleepover at our house, so they needed the sugar.

    Day tp 19

    I'm pretty sure Mike was still inside the gas station, waiting for someone to offer him a raspberry ice cream cone.

    When he finally returned to the car empty-handed, we headed home.

    And that's how the first Firefighters and Police Appreciation Day went. We appreciate you, Mike.

    Mike?

    Oh nevermind… he's eating something.  

  • Crazy Kids,  Ramblings

    A Day with Sophie

    Soph and I decided to enjoy the beautiful weather a few days ago, so after her appointment for a new hair-do (she got a short bob), we headed to Runza and then out to picnic at a nearby lake.

    Soph tp1 

    My child has a whole arsenal of poses.

    We walked around the lake a bit, and came upon a sweet mama and her babies…

    Soph tp 3 

    (I was using my purse camera, and the ones of the ducks are a bit hazy for some reason. Maybe a bit too much sun bouncing off the water and all the white feathers!)

    Soph tp 2 

    Suddenly, the mama duck started making little noises at her kids, rounding them up to leave…

    Soph tp 4 

    Soon we saw why: the Bird Mafia was in town.

    Soph tp 5 

    Soph tp 6 

    It was fascinating how all the other ducks cleared the path when they came through.

    At this point, Sophie started pleading with me to vacate the premises, as she and her dad have had a run-in with a goose or two on a past adventure. But I wanted to keep snapping pictures!

    Soph tp 8 

    And then I decided Sophie was right. So I rounded up my kid and left with the ducks.

    Soph tp 9 

    After all, I'd rather not end up swimming with the fishes.

    Hyuk hyuk.

  • Crazy Kids

    Opposable

    You know you're bored when you decide to have a thumb war… with yourself. 

    On this lazy summer day (heaven help me through many more to come), my Sophie decided to entertain herself by having her thumbs duke it out.

    Thumb war tp 7 

    Thumb war tp 6 

    I was supposed to be working, but I couldn't tear my eyes away. I'm not sure if I was fascinated by what I was witnessing, or worried about the mental health of my youngest child.

    Thumb war tp 5 

    Thumb war tp 4 

    When I found myself wondering which thumb would win, I realized I needed to quickly regain control of my wits.

    Thumb war tp 3 

    Thumb war tp 2 

    I think I stood there and watched for about 6 minutes.

    Thumb war tp 1 

    That's 6 minutes of my life I will never get back.

  • Ramblings,  Stitching

    Decisions

    Well, thanks to my good pal Carol Sims giving me permission to do as I please, I've decided not to release the Noah's Ark piece for the St. Charles market. There is absolutely no way I can finish it in time, so rather than stress about it like I have been doing, I've decided to take my time on it and shoot for Nashville. It was either stitch solely on Noah and have nothing else to release, or work on some other ideas I've got and push Noah back a bit farther. 

    Once I made the decision, my day brightened up considerably! I assembled the supplies to start a new model and got busy. 🙂

    Stitching tp 1 

    I know, Mom. I'm sorry if I can't be PERFECTLY organized like you. But I'm also happier than you. teehee.

    I've had a great day today, btw! Went to the track and pulled a groin muscle (I've never done that before, so it was a new life experience)(do girls have groin muscles?), went grocery shopping at Target and had no coupons (no room in my purse for them bc of all the old receipts), made a brand new and absolutely delicious Mexican casserole and ate it by myself (no one was home and I didn't feel like figuring out where they all were)(or waiting for them to get home), went to the camera shop and… well, we won't go there… and now I'm sitting here drinking coffee and not hearing any dog noises (which probably means The Yorkie has had another on-purpose on my carpeting and is in hiding).

    The Yorkie tp 3
     
     At least I don't have to work on Noah.