Decorating Outside

Since Scott and I got married, I can't remember ever decorating outside for Christmas.  (Jump in with your inaugural blog comment, hon, if I'm exaggerating on that one.)  As seems the pattern for me, I got inspired because we're hosting a Christmas party here this year.  Can't have everyone pulling up to an unfestive house, right?

I wouldn't put it past me, but I wasn't intentionally being cute and wonky with this picture.  I can't figure out how to use my tripod for vertical shots.  The camera just leeeeaaaans.

A few months ago when I was searching for a simple globe light to go over our front porch, I found this image.  Gah!  So pretty.  These Moonlight Globe Lights are touted as being popular in the upscale hotels of Dubai.  I believe it 'cause only a sultan could afford them.  

I figured I could imitate the look with some globe shades and strings of Christmas lights.  And I figured I was the cleverest person ever for thinking of this.  Nope.  I shopped online for different size globes, but I couldn't find small ones for less than about $4 each, and the big 2' globes cost $150.  Not Dubai prices but still not in the realm of reason.  So I took a chance and headed out to our Habitat ReStore and started digging through dusty, unmarked boxes left abandoned by contractors.  (That sounded melodramatic, didn't it?)

I so wish I'd had someone to yip and do an end zone dance with me when I finally opened a box and saw these guys... and at that price. 

 They're glass, which isn't ideal for a yard known to have roving ninjas in the afternoons, but I kept them just along the walk by the front door.  Plus they're only 6" so I couldn't pull off the look the way they did in that inspiration photo.  I'll just have to keep my eye out for some larger ones when I'm thrifting throughout the year and hope to find some to add to the collection for next Christmas.

Oh, and I'll also have to figure out how to make it snow a lot here because they're extra purdy on snow.

Found this while we were wrapping the birch trees in lights.  No idea who put it there, but it makes me happy.

Back with inside pics next week; we're going to the lot to get our tree tomorrow.  Happy Weekend!

Eye Gotta Wear Shades

Owen had his annual eye appointment today.  It was one year ago we learned he needed glasses, and although he will need to continue to wear them, his left eye has improved a good bit so there's still a chance one day he'll eventually be eyewear free.  He went from +2.00 +5.00 to +1.00 +3.00.

Psst...

I have no idea what that means except that it has to do with diopters and down is good.

Oh, and you know the yellow stuff they use to gum up your eyes and get them to dilate?  An hour after his appointment Owen sneezed it all out his nose.  Weird, neon and gross.

Happy Thanksgiving!

What do Owen and Kirk Cameron circa 1988 have in common?

• He ate three breakfasts yesterday and asked for a fourth.
• He snarfed more pasta than I could eat last night.
• His shins are killing him. 

Working on a Big Boy Room

With the exception of the new grey curtains and blanket at the foot of the bed, this is how Owen's room has been looking for the past 6 months or so.  The biggest difference since this major change has been the addition of a larger dresser.  (You can just barely see the corner of it on the right.)  We'd been using that piece in the back corner (originally his changing table), but his clothes finally got too big.  I really wanted to still have it in the room, but this arrangement wasn't working, and plus the room felt empty with those too white walls.

So I stole an idea (couldn't see paying $160 + international shipping for decals), snapped a few chalk lines,

and started painting triangles.  Can you tell it was dark outside at this point?

I finished up the next morning, moved the old changing table to make it his nightstand and floofed things a little.  Owen says he likes it because the triangles look like spikes.  I swear everything becomes a weapon in that boy brain of his.  Still have some work to do on the other wall, and I'm thinking about adding a small rug beside his bed, but I'm really excited about what $15 in craft paint and 4 or 5 hours of work did for the room.

Final t-ball game

Owen had his last t-ball game the day after his birthday, so this is a little bit of old news.  We tagged along with Scott to a work conference on the coast last week, so that's my excuse for not getting this up sooner.  And look, a video!

Please say it works.  After a long morning of troubleshooting, I now remember why I gave up on posting videos two years ago.  Pain in the keister.

You can see a little bit of a golf swing in there still, but he got a lot better over the course of the 8 weeks.  And, it may not look like it, but for Owen that was a blazing trip out of the batter's box and down to first!  Early on, there were times when Owen stood dazed in the box for so long that he would get in the way of his teammates trying to score from third base.  He's like me when he's learning something new.  He doesn't make a move until he knows exactly what he's doing and where he's going.

 Owen got a trophy and Coach got the game ball for traveling all the way from Texas and helping out.

I didn't get pics of everyone, but Owen had a huge cheering squad for his last game.  Thanks for coming out to see him GG, DD, Coach, Mimi, Granddaddy, Uncle Drew, Aunt Sarah, Uncle Tommy and Aunt Charolette! 

Fall Hike

I challenged Owen to help me find every color of the rainbow.  We cheated a little on the blue, but I couldn't resist when I saw it floating down the creek; the color was too perfect!

Balloonapallooza Part II

Confetti Balloons

We stabbed confetti-filled balloons with the 'balloon harpoon' at first, but by the end we degenerated to the old-fashioned squash-them-with-your-bum method.  

I put stickers and tattoos inside too, but they had zero interest in picking them up; they must old enough to be outside that demographic now.

Balloon-Dart Painting

They threw darts at paint-filled balloons to make a splatter painting for Owen to hang in his room.  

I  asked the kids to sign a sheet of paper that I will glue to the back so Owen can remember who helped him make it.  

When it got down to just 3 or 4 balloons, it was too hard for the little guys to take aim, so the big guys took over.

Water Balloon Launch

After the basement fun, we headed out to shoot water balloons at Scott.  With the help of the internet, I made a launcher from surgical tubing and a funnel.  

Try going to Home Depot and asking for those two items in conjunction without getting some funny looks!  

Scavenger Hunt

We came back inside from shooting water balloons and discovered that Owen's cake had been stolen!  

(Owen's idea from months ago; I love the look on his face here when he realizes I actually made it happen.)

The first clue led us to the garage.

... the second to the guest bath, and the third upstairs to the mystery room, where Owen's DD confessed to being the cake bandit.  

She said she wouldn't tell them where she hid the cake until every kid found a gold balloon inside the mystery room.

Heading downstairs with the final clue that led them under the dining table and to the cake.

CAKE!!!

More Balloon Room Pics

 After cake, most of the kids went straight back to the balloon room.  Working on and off, it took 5 days, 4 people and 600 balloons to fill it up so I'm glad they loved it!

Opening Presents

 Thanking his GG and getting a good laugh from a card with irreverent smelly stickers that had scents like 'Macaroni and Sneeze'.

Whew!  The End.

Thanks again to everyone who helped plan and helped celebrate!