IF-Tension

Illustration Friday!

IF - Liquid

Hello!  Time for Illustration Friday again!  This week the word is "Liquid" and brought to mind the fable of The Thirsty Crow.   (Which can summarize as: a thirsty crow finds a pitcher with some water in it, but can't reach the water.  He then drops pebble after pebble into the pitcher, until the water is high enough to drink.)  I believe the moral is supposed to be something about hard work, but I always just think, "what a clever crow."

IF - Future

Hello!  Another Illustration Friday is here!  "Future."

Griffin and I went out on the deck to colour, so I managed to get this done (to this point, anyway.)  A scene that I am hoping to see around here in our very near future!

And Holly, Too...

I didn't want to leave Holly out.  She's been busy making pictures, too.  She pretty much wants to do everything everyone else is doing.  And she's willing to do whatever it takes.  She's starting to talk more and more; new words include "chicken" and "bum" and "baby" (which is more like "Bubbah").

Most days she is clamouring at the door, with her boots on, and her coat in her hand.  Sometimes even before breakfast.  She brings a lot of life to the house.

Astronauts and Original Art

We've been talking about astronauts a lot the last couple of days.  Hopefully you've already seen the video of Chris Hadfield doing "Space Oddity" (if you haven't, you should definitely check it out on YouTube!) - we watched it as a family, and everyone loved it.  Then we had to watch a shuttle launch, which had everyone clapping and cheering and jumping around.

Griffin decided he needed to draw an astronaut.  With a spaceship.  This is one of my favourite pictures, ever.  Griffin recently opened an Art Store in our dining room, and he's been selling us his original works of art for very reasonable prices (sometimes when you pay a boat penny, you get a moose penny in change).  Some of my other favourites include "Elephant", "Three Bunnies", and "Rhinoceros".   We've got the laundry drying rack set up with clothes pegs so he can hang his pieces.  Just a warning, if you happen to be in the market for some original art, though - he's a little bit choosy about who can buy what, when.

Real Cowboys

Hello again!  Bet you are surprised to be hearing from me already!  I just have a quick moment before Holly wakes up from her nap.  We had such a fun little day today, I thought I would jot it down.  I didn't have the camera with me, so the photos are unrelated (but still fun)!

 First we went to the Yard Sale for Griffin's Pre-School, and we got to pick up his first school photos!

Then we went to the Livestock Auction at the Exhibition grounds.  Oooooh - it's so much fun.  We saw real cowboys, riding horses, and herding cows into numbered groups.  We saw sheep and goats and cows and ponies and horses - Holly couldn't stop "moo-ing" the whole time we were in the barn.  I fell in love with a jersey cow, but couldn't bring her home.

Then we found the little barn, where they were auctioning off the smaller animals - chickens, guinea fowl, ducklings, rabbits, turkeys, and baby bunnies.  Griffin and Holly promptly set themselves up in front of the baby bunnies, and begged us to bring them home.  I told them they didn't have to convince me.  Luckily (I suppose) Dad was a harder case.

As I said to Jai, though, it was better than the zoo, and free.  Perhaps one day we can even buy something.  A girl can dream.

IF - Tribute

Squeezing in (I hope!) my Illustration Friday picture for Tribute.  This is the teacup I always used at my Grandma's house.  Every day for afternoon tea.  I love it, as it reminds me of her.

Griffin added the saucer, which I think is just the perfect touch.
P.S. Oops - just missed it!  They're really on the ball this week!  Oh well, in my head this is still gonna count!

Happy Birthday, Little G

Oh, this little boy of mine.  Yesterday, when I picked him up from pre-school, I was buckling him into his seat, and he said, "Mom, I'm SO glad you're my Mom."  Well, Griffin, I can't even tell you how glad I am that you are my son.

Griffin turned FOUR years old yesterday!  I think he had a pretty good birthday.  He got some monster trucks that kept him busy all morning, and all afternoon, and some soccer gear that kept him busy all evening.  He's pretty excited about soccer at the moment.  Of course, he really knows nothing about it, other than that you kick the ball.  Who doesn't love kicking a ball around?  Anyway, now he has cleats, and shin guards and his very own soccer ball.  I think his favourite part was how he can run down the hill at the playground without slipping.  He wanted to put his cleats on again this morning, to walk to playgroup, so we had to talk about how they are special shoes just for grass.

He had a small birthday party on the weekend, with most of his favourite people.   We had a picnic in the playground, and then everyone ended up hanging out in our backyard.  He was very excited that he had two parties - one in the park, and one at the house.  Afterwards, he spent a long time on the deck by himself, busily planting cars and trucks with the pots and soil left over from my seeds.  Yesterday, I poked them all out of the dirt, as though they were growing, and today he pulled them out, and excitedly told me all about how they grew, they really grew!  He then proceeded to plant them all again.  Too much fun.

Here's some pictures from the party.  All the ones below were taken by Jai.  He's practicing so he can do a wedding with me.  Not bad, hey?

Happy days.

IF - Farewell

Hello!  I'm a little behind this week - we spent the weekend in Halifax, and I just haven't quite caught up yet.  Of course, I am behind most weeks, so I suppose I don't really need the excuse.  ANYWAY, we're all doing fine - I will update the blog again soon, but for now, here is my latest Illustration Friday picture.  More of a doodle this week - I keep drawing cats.  Hugging cats - why not?