To the Winds.

*I officially have 10 days and 1 wake up until the triathlon.  Yesterday was my toughest bike ride yet and I impressed myself.  My running has also been going pretty well, so at least two thirds of it should be relatively straight forward.

In hopes to make the transitions and swim a teensy bit easier - I scored a schwaggle deal and got this and a couple of other items for just $40.
Bikini? You say?  Yes.  Here's my thought process:
I don't want to change completely in the first transition (from water to bike).  Mostly because it's a pretty short race and two because I'd rather scare the shit out of everybody prance around  in a bikini, than try to change out of my suit and have the towel fall off and kill someone blind somebody with that awful sight extreme not Marissa Miller-ness.

Wish me luck with it all.  I'm going to need it, I think.  

*I tried to sign up for Pinterest.  There is a waiting list.  Communists.  
But I did do some browsing.  Oh man, the projects I want to do...


*

I love how well together these three play.  

Call me crazy, but I dig this picture.  It feels peaceful.  

These are a few of the other shots from our day at the park with some friends.  I love the parks around us.  Especially this one.  Trails, beach, playground, picnic area, boat ramps - everything.  It's awesome and only two miles from my house.

*Kenny's fan is done and installed.  I'll post pics when I finish B-rox's.  They're awesome.  No lie.

*We also completed tie-dye shirts.  I'm addicted.  Apparently the "Grateful Dead loving, tie-dye wearing" hippie trait is genetic.  I get it from my mother.  No joke, I used to wear her shirts as nightgowns and several of them were concert T's.  She is awesome.
Pics of the shirts forthcoming in another post.

*Next project?  A volcano.
Any advice?

Life's a beach.

Holden looks adequately frightened. 

Holdeezy is trying to figure out how to get my thumb in his mouth without me knowing.

Cutest. Boys.  Ever.

Somebody taught my kid the finger mustache. 

I'll agree B-rox, your baby brother's head does look like a vanilla ice cream cone.
That does not mean we should lick it. 

We're still in the appropriate month.

To do Holdeezy's six month pictures.  

My favorite. 

We've made it half a year.
The time flies.
Where did his five month pictures go?  Nowhere.  I never took them.  Woops.  

Flotsam and Jetsam

Not those awful eel things in "Little Mermaid", though. 

We have sitting!!!!  

And, dragons.  

This, amazingly - looks JUST like my daddy.
Before he had kids, that is.
(He's a little more... gray, now)

B-rox insisted I blog about his cars.
So here it is.
For 79 cents, you really can't beat these as a "treat".  

MINE!!!!!!

Just bits and pieces.

Is it September yet?

This guy is ready.  Are you? 

Seriously.  I need me some football.

Brotherly Love. But not Philly.

They were peaceful and quiet.

It was a frickin' miracle, yo.

In a Pinch!

Argh ye matey's!

Unfortunately, my kids have giant noggins and they lost interest in their self-designed "pirate" hats pretty quickly because they wouldn't stay on.
Bunny Cow and Ray Ray are still sporting theirs, however.

Entertainment In-Lap.

We've been having some wonky weather so I've had several barometrically induced ankle aches.  During one this past weekend, I was trying desperately to entertain a very tired baby.  IN my lap, so I could keep the rice pack on my ankle and not cry.

He's a natural for the self-portraiture and I also expect to see him on youtube here in the near future.

The iPhone 4 has that nifty turn the camera around for emo shots.
Babies find themselves very entertaining.
"DAMN THAT BABY IS HANDSOME!"

"Pssst.  Mom's a creeper."

"This guy is funny."

"Just a little adjustment here..."

"Do a little dance, make a little love... get milk tonight."

"Self timer fail."

"Dad, you're so silly.  Looking."

"Oh crap!  I let my head get away from me!"

"I'm back and awesome as ever."

I'm not sure who was more entertained.  Him or me?

Of Shoes and Ships and Ceiling Wax.

Actually.  Just ships and ceiling fans.  No shoes? Gasp, faint... 

I have a dilemma.  A crafty dilemma.

You see, I'm not. And I've undertaken a "be crafty and original" project.  It wouldn't be so bad - except, I've been watching Karen just pull stuff out of her ear, or maybe nose to decorate her house with and it looks beautiful.  
Along with other bloggers that are making this pretty or "hey, look at this - I just farted and my living room looks awesome" or "I just got the inspiration for this room from watching my baby eat spaghetti".  
Seriously.  I'm not like that. 
At. All.  


So, here's the dilemma.  I have a husband who adores ceiling fans.  In fact, that was our "anniversary present".  A new ceiling fan.
[I hate fans.  All fans. Except this one.  The noise they make as their little blades cut the air hurts my ears.  No joke.  I also hate pencils. I decided when I was seven I never wanted to be a teacher because I hate pencils and I couldn't handle a whole class of pencils.]
Insert ridicule. 

Now, moving on.

As far as ceiling fans go, this one isn't bad.
The wooden planks are a near perfect match to our floors, and the white and brushed silver are carried throughout the entire living room/house.  It's also not "grannyish" in style, so it gets props. Which, is kind of what it looks like.  A plane propeller.  Or, a daisy that's on it's last few "love me, love me nots". 


Anyway, we bought two, builders grade, white fans for the boys' rooms.

Uh, this fan to be exact. Not ezzactly awesome.
Yet. 

{Quick refresher of the boys' rooms}

Spoiled much?
(The treasure map wall has seen many improvements.  That wall was my one piece of genius.)

I'm trying to find some {cheap} fishnet stuff to hang on the ceiling in here.
Hence the un-touched up space around the Co2/smoke detector.

Yes. Yes they are. 

So, the dilemma is turning those fans into something that will jibe with the room, but not make the room cross the line from "awesome" to "garish".
Yes, that green is already garish.  If you are a parent and you let your 3.5 year old pick the color for his room - you have to be prepared for something like this. He wears sunglasses at night.  


Anyway, this is what I'm thinking.  (Open to ALL suggestions.  If I don't pick yours - don't be butt-hurt.  I'm just looking for some inspiration to strike gold with this project.)
I'm considering painting the body of Kenny's silver.  I was considering making the whole thing silver, and trying to figure out how to make it look like a jet engine - but then I realized jets don't go into space.  Rockets do.  Idea fail.
I'm going to paint the blades... I don't know.  But we're thinking of stamping stars/rockets/moons/aliens... on the blades. (NOT original at. all.)

We have NO idea which direction to head on B-rox's.  Nothing but some jolly roger-esque things and frankly, I believe that's already pretty played out in the room.

Please help.  Plleeeeez.
And thank you.  In advance.

Baby Yoga.

It takes work to be the baby. 

Gotta stay limber.

Also, when paci can't be found - toes will make an acceptable substitute.

No, I don't edit my iphone pictures.  Deal with the crappy quality.