Enter the Giraffe

So our little guy is growing....and growing fast, so we needed a way to "document it" (as my tech-y husband would say...) But as with anything, I couldn't just make a chart, or start measuring Eliel against the wall or write it in a journal, I had to CREATE something and it had to be out of the ordinary.....

Enter the giraffe.

We found a random long piece of wood sitting in the basement, free-handed a giraffe and my husband did the dirty work of cutting the wood.

Didn't he do an amazing job, especially around the ears and face part? That takes precision.

So we painted and thumb-printed the dots. Added the ruler marker lines and there we go!

THAT was the easy part. Actually measuring Eliel was the hardest part. Why?
Not because of his crazy hair or actually penning on painted wood or that I still haven't got the hang of the Iphone "picture taking delay"....
It was because he wanted to watch VeggieTales and wouldn't really stay still and cooperate...Seriously, the conversation went like this. For about 15 mins.

Me: Eliel, stand near Mr. Giraffe. I want to measure you.
Eliel: watch Pickle (Dave and the Giant Pickle)
Me: Yes, honey, let's just take the picture.
Eliel: (in whiny voice) Pickle
Me: K, stand near the giraffe.

Eliel: (in response to me getting on the floor...) Eliel sit. Sit on couch.
Me: No, you gotta stand up. (He proceeds to stand up, but about a foot away)
Me: K, now near the giraffe.
Eliel: Look Cha-cha (pointing to his stuffed frog still on floor).
Me: Yes, Cha-cha. But look up Eliel. No, not that high. Look at mommy.
Eliel: (he throws himself on the floor) With Cha-Cha.
ME: no Eliel Stand up. K, grab Cha-Cha. (he crosses the room to get Cha-Cha). K, in front of the giraffe. (Eliel comes back in front of the giraffe, but has a game starting to formulate in his head...)
Me: No, don't throw Cha-Cha.
Eliel: Watch Pickle (again, in whining voice)

Me: Yes, let's do this picture first and then we can watch Veggietales.
Eliel: No, pickle. PICKLE.
Me: Yes, honey, pickle is a VeggieTales DVD. We will watch Pickle. But let's take this picture first.

Me: Show mommy happy face. (Eliel pouts and rolls his eyes). No, not angry face. Happy Face. No, stay. Here, show mommy Cha Cha. Say cheese. No stand up. Eliel, can you stop moving? Just look at mommy for a second.

I will stop there...conversation of this caliber continued for the next 10mins. I was losing circulation in my left leg, I think I was pancaking the baby in my stomach and the cramps in my right leg started again.

Mind you, the whole time, I'm squatting, technically balancing on my toes, trying to hold my Iphone in one hand and keep Eliel at bay with the other and I have about a 20lb weight of a belly as an anchor.

All THAT for this one good picture....

Anyhow....the result is that our almost 27 month old is 36 inches tall. He's grown about 15inches in almost 2.5 years! Wow.

Maybe for the next picture, I will rip that giraffe off the wall and place it beside Eliel when he is sleeping! :)

btw, I collected the random pieces of paper from the doctor's office during his immunizations and entered that info on the giraffe as a keepsake...

Linked up to: Finding Fabulous, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Kojo Designs and Tatertots & Jello

It's time for a VeggieTales Bday Party!

My son Eliel, was turning 2 on Saturday and for the last month, I had been planning the most amazing birthday party, complete with a VeggieTales theme.

As with everything, I usually overbook myself with everything and "within" everything. Eliel's (mega)party was planned for right after we returned from our Disney vacation -- meaning we were sleep-deprived, overstimulated for months on end and somewhat off of our eating and sleeping schedule. On top of this, I am pregnant and within this pregnancy, I just seem WAAAAY more tired than usual. Especially after eating -- almost can slip into a coma if I wasn't distracted by my 2 yo flinging rice off the spoon!

Anyhow, for both my sanity and my family's mental health, I "downgraded" this party to a small intimate "just-us" party....which means that I didn't go and make him a special birthday shirt, or assemble awesome garden/veggietale favorites, or cut a humongous Bob the Tomato from poster board to "pin the nose on Bob" game, or, or, or...
guess my creativity is grieving a little...

BUT I DID MAKE A CAKE!
And not just any cake, but my first fondant cake with VeggieTale characters!

K, remember it is my first cake, so it's not completely perfect --- and I know it looks seriously wet (slimy, also came to mind, ack!) but that is the flash bouncing off the fondant!...And I know I had a leaky "h"....(duh, the instructions said to test first...I never listen, like in this post)

Also, I realized that my creation resulted in a slight variation of the VeggieTale plot and characters.

For instance, Bob the Tomato (apparently, to my husband...) seems to be sporting a toupe...

Madame Blueberry is no longer a female for it (she?) looks male. That's really due to an "accident" with her eyelashes -- they just wouldn't stick and her eyes got all googly... :)

Junior Asparagus lost his hat...

I was trying to make a hat, but it kept looking like a turban or like he was recovering from brain surgery....so just decided to go without...

I have angry and sad peas...And this guy (Jerry the Gord's brother, I can't remember his name...) just.wouldn't.keep.his.shape. Must be all that pizza that he likes!

And speaking of pizza, both my husband and sister thought the infamous VeggieTales counter (only the SETTING of my cake!) was a pizza. My husband thought it was pepperoni and my sister thought it was cheese slices. Both obviously need to watch more television... :)

Anyhow, overall, I am very pleased with the results AND my biggest smile came from Eliel's reaction to the cake...

AND the fact that he recognized ALL the characters! Mission accomplished.

Then, he proceeded to lick his cake ---- claiming it perhaps?
Where did he learn that?!

Then he carefully choose his first victim...

Decided a pea would suffice...

Ate it whole...

Showed a "no prisoners" mentality...

And gave all the yummy details :)

After all that sugar, we had him open his gift...

...played some silly games...

and then went to Cheeky Monkeys to burn off the fondant and some energy!

And if you want info on the cake -- where my inspiration came from, how to do the marshmallow fondant or to just be wowed by newest blog sister, that post is coming right up!

what I've got....

... a 90% finished kitchen reno
... a very tired and overworked husband
... a 10 month old who (still) has a ridiculous cough from broncholitis and the subsequent clinginess and the "earth-shattering-I'm completely-in-despair-because you left the room to go release your pee from it's 6 hour restraining order" cry. Yes. I said the pee word. Twice.
... an ear infection to accessorize my cough and flu outfit.
... a feeling of "not wanting any obligations on my time". Like a 16 year old boy's hesitation to commitment. And I will say it: its not you, it's me.
... a desire to just simple out (my verbal way of saying, get real. and very very basic). Maybe it's due to the Proverbs31 Spring Cleaning Challenge that will be taking place...spiritually, physically and emotionally or just the effects of living amongst dust, disorder and in one corner of my son's nursery (bc of the reno)...But yes, I am choosing my family, my time, my life, me. I already know some won't be happy, but oh well.
... a blog that hasn't really felt my love for almost 1.5 weeks
... a business that needs some revitalizing

But the most beautiful thing I have right now is my son, gently napping in my arms. I fall in love with his long eyelashes, his rhythmic breathing, his curled little toes, his curly hair, his bottom lip slightly protruding, his hands that seem so big. Even with the lunch "stain" still on his cheek.


And that is why I have all those other things...yes, even the flu and ear infection :)

Motiated Mondays to return next week, with hopefully, my reno'd kitchen...

*note, I realize this picture of Eliel is not only from a couple of months ago, but he's in his carseat. (it was from us returning from something..) But as you read from the post, he was in my arms and I didn't have the camera next to me....note to self, carry it more often...