Getting back to reality. Whatever that is....

I haven't posted in months- where did all that time go? Sucked away by moments too boring to blog about, mostly involving laundry and dirty diapers. There have been some fun creative things happening in the background, though. Here are some highlights:

I've realized that Baby#2 is even more strong willed than Baby #1! That isn't supposed to happen, is it? I was thinking, oh, Little Buckaroo is so strong willed- That must mean Chubzie will be more easy going. NO. It simply meant I didn't know what a strong will was! Chubzie is even MORE strong willed than LB! My mother and sisters are laughing behind their hands right now, but won't the rest of you please have pity for this poor momma's soul???
Here's an exhausted baby who has decided he is not going to give up on his bottle:


I also made time for some fun sewing. The boys were both sleeping in cribs when my sister happened to see this adorable 50's style metal bed in the yard of an abandoned cabin. I spray painted the bed bright red and that gave me the inspiration for a vintage cowboy theme, with cream, pale blue, and bright red being the color palette. When all was said and done, I had a little coverlet and window valance. My sister had brought a fantastic metal lamp in the shape of a boot, so that helped to tie everything together. Before and after:
I'm thinking I want to paint something on the wall over LB's bed in the same pale blue. Maybe a cowboy on a horse or some calves or something.
I also made a cool trendyish leather belt that sits low on the hips over long t-shirts or whatever. I am still painstakingly beading a western belt for myself, but who knows when that will ever be done!
Chubzie is crawling all over the place and pulling himself up on things- really fun to watch! He and Little Buckaroo get along great for the most part. I think his crying irritates LB but what's a brother to do? They take baths together and LB loves to splash with him in tub. Just yesterday LB came up to me all smiles.
"I share Mama!" he shouted.
"Good boy! Who did you share with?"
" With chubzie!" he screamed, jumping up and down.
" Oh what a good bro-" suddenly I got a sinking feeling in my stomach. " Ahhh, LB. what....what exactly did you share with chubzie?"
"Dog food!" he started clapping his hands.
I looked over and there was a small mountain of dog food on Chubzie's tray. He had two fistfulls of kibble and was happily chirping to himself while trying to cram both in his mouth.
How can something be adorable and horrifying at the same time?

Rolling with the famola...

We've been LOVING our time with my sister, bro in law, dear friend-who-is-family, and their children. We've had a chance to do all the things we don't normally do with people we adore. And we get a chance to listen to, love, and break up fights between our kiddos. Mix in some good deep conversations, some CR intensity, and some yummo meals and you get an idea of what the week has been like!

Out of the box

Even though my posts are normally animal-poop-western couture-campy craft making-etc. related, I resist all boxes and apply a background called "fairy dust" when I so choose. Just keeping it mildy interesting while your movie downloads.

Where have I been?

You know when life just kind of takes you and you have to grab on for the ride for awhile? That's how I feel. Just caught up in everyday life. The laundry, the spankings, the highs and lows of an exciting mundane life.

Some of Ron's family came to visit- definite high! They are a relaxing, easy going bunch that are so fun to be around- it doesn't really matter what we do, I have a good time. Actually, one of the highlights from the trip was simply sitting around in the back yard, eating the best salsa to cross my lips in a long, long time, and chatting. Simple, but sometimes it's the simple stuff that stays with you the best.

A friend of ours put on a ranch rodeo on the Day of the American Cowboy (July 18th, people). 4 teams consisting of 5 people, and each team has to have a member of the opposite sex on it. They compete in team penning, team doctoring, bronc riding, branding, and wild cow milking, which you see here. We had some good friends make up adn team and walk away with the buckle when it was all said and done. It was a fun afternoon, followed by a community Barbque and dance. Can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday!

It's that time of year again...

The smell of burning hair, bawling children, and agitated mothers. It reminds me of the time Mom tried to curl my bangs for a family portrait.

It's branding time.

The set up: mama cows and their 200 lb babies are driven into a pen by men on horseback. Then, all the mama cows are squeezed out of the pen without their calves. They all rush out, but once they realize their calves aren't with them, they start to bawl and weep and moan and gnash their teeth. It's a loud and anxious time. Then when most of the cows are out and calves are in they let in the ropers.

They rope a calf by the hind legs and drag it to the fire.

The wrestlers stretch the calf out so it can be branded and rendered nutless.

It's marked on the back so the ropers know not to rope it again.

Repeat and Repeat and Repeat until all the calves are done.

Then they let the calves out in a big rush and its pandemonium as the mothers search for their babies and babies search for their mamas. They all find the right pair up and peace reigns again amongst the herd. Until weaning time......

Gimped

Before and afters at the hacienda

We did some little beautifications last week in the kitchen. The wallpaper I was really unsure of because it had some possible yuck factor with the plaid, but I'm sold on it now. I think it adds some good color and ties the cabinets together. I also think it makes our counters look better. Well, as good as chocolate brown formica can look.

The tree thing was an idea I scammed from wallwords.com. I saw it in a magazine and thought it looked so cool, but to buy the look was like 400 dollars. And since I am "Design on a half penny" I thought that I could do it myself. The process was actually so easy! And free! YES! I downloaded a sillhouette of a tree I liked from the internet, printed it. copied it onto a transparency, borrowed the church's overhead projector, projected it on the wall, traced it in pencil, and then using some brown paint we already had, painted in the picture. I hated the picture arrangement that was there before, and now I think I have a really nice graphic look instead. I was thinking aspens or birch trees would look very cool on a darker background.