Brahm's bout with bad language

Brahm and Nicholas

Brahm is such a tender-hearted little boy.  He shows love and empathy like no other child I've ever known.  When I cry, he cries.  When a sibling gets in trouble, he feels the need to make things right for them.  He loves to hug and kiss and cuddle. 

This last week, he began using the D-word.  I have no clue where he picked up on it.  Jess and I don't swear- not even a little.  He only watches cartoons on PBS or Netflix.  His neighbor friends don't use bad language. 

When asked where he learned it, his response was, "The Cat in the Hat."

We were puzzled by this.  Upon further questioning, he explained that the Cat in the Hat visited a dam that beavers constructed.

That's all fine and good, but where did he learn to use the word 'damn' in this context: "Simon, stop playing your damn violin!  I can't hear the TV!" 

Jess and I are still puzzled.  I would be horrified to find out that he used this language at the neighbors' houses. 

When I was 8 years old, I learned the word 'bastard' from watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.  Not realizing that it was a bad word, I called my friend, Becky Pollan, a bastard many times.....in her own home.  I also told her that she had AIDS, but that is a different story.  Oh, the follies of our youth! 

Hopefully, Brahm will outgrow this very quickly.  Otherwise, a mouth full of soap and restricted Wii privileges lay in store for him. 

Papercutting

My sister, Rachel, has a host of talented friends who design and create beautiful art.  One of these artsy fartsy friends happens to be Cindy, who is a graphic designer by trade.  She's created a blog entitled Scherenschnitte that is devoted to the art form of papercutting.  Her intricate work has been on display at various art exhibits including the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art.  Every Tuesday, she creates and provides a download-able template for anyone interested in making a papercutting of their own.  Simon has shown a lot of interest in the arts, so I decided that this might be something he would enjoy.  To get started, we bought a craft cutting board, X-acto knife, and scrapbook quality paper.  Not only did he love it, but he cut 7 of Cindy's templates in just one day.  The images below are Cindy's, but these are some of the papercuttings that Simon worked on and has hanging on the tack board in his bedroom.

 

 

You can check out more of Cindy's beautiful work at www.papercutting.blogspot.com

Hello, again

 It's been a cold winter.  Things are beginning to thaw.  The smell of burning farm fields is in the air.  Spring is on the horizon. 

 

I look forward to warmer weather, sunshine-y days, tree blossoms, and a slow paced summer.

 

From Halloween to New Year's, I struggled with morning sickness for my 5th and final time.  I was also a sponge for every ailment floating around.  Thanksgiving was a doozy.  I thought I was going to die.  Nausea and vomiting didn't mix well with headaches, coughing, sinus pressure, and high fevers. 

 

Blogging and picture taking took a back seat while I struggled with two months of sickness followed by debilitating fatigue. I was blessed by a husband who cooked every meal, cleaned every dirty dish, and washed every article of clothing while I was down and out.  My school kids didn't complain when I asked them to buy a hot lunch everyday.  And, my younger ones got used to "Zombie Mommy" who lived on the couch.

 

Times like these make me really thankful for my good health.  I am happy again.  I can eat real food again.  I don't mind the smell of Tide detergent. 

 

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I took most of these photos (with the exception of the frozen tree up above) in early Fall.  I was so pleased with the results.  I used 400 speed Black and White film.  A lot of the pictures are redundant, so bear with me. 

 

I know what you're thinking-- how did a two year old lay still enough to have me slowly focus and photograph him? Nicholas has the attention span of an adult.

Tub Time.

Happy Birthday, Ava!

 

 

Nicholas wanted to be involved in the candle extinguishing as well.
 

Opening presents.  The excitement appears to be staged, but it was the real deal.

 

Jump time!



Simon practicing the violin.
 



Brahm painting his Valentine's box.

 

My June Bugs

Simon opening birthday presents.

 At Smashburger-- Simon's food of choice for his birthday.

Birthday sliders (cupcakes, brownie pucks, and lettuce frosting). 

The birthday baseball games.

Nicholas was so excited about his birthday present that he wouldn't budge from his toy car.  We ended up singing 'Happy Birthday' to him while he happily sat in the driver's seat.

Personally, I think June birthdays are the best.  As a mother, I loved giving birth in the month of June.  And as a child, the party possibilities are endless. 

Simon and Nicholas celebrated their 9th and 2nd birthdays 10 days apart.  In the Warren household, birthdays give us the perfect excuse to be gluttons for food and fun.  We skated at the local roller rink, swam in a neighborhood pool, attended Simon's baseball games (on both birthdays), devoured delectable desserts, and patronized our favorite burger joint- Smashburger.  

Happy Birthday to my sweet boys, Simon and Nicholas! 

Haircuts, Homeless Babies, and the Lunar Eclipse

Funny, I'm the one with the cosmetology training and license.  But Jess is my go-to man for the boys' buzzes.

Homeless baby in a ratty sleeper on the loose. :)

The Lunar Eclipse.  The sky that evening was eerily dark.

My love of family and lavender

Springtime gardening

This past Spring, Jess hauled 4 of our 6 existing garden boxes (and dirt) to the west side of our yard.  It was a laborious and time consuming task, but Jess managed to do it.  Nicholas had fun digging and dining on the dirt while the others balanced on the boxes. 

This photo has nothing to do with our garden, but I added it purely for laughs.  Don't you love the chocolate milk mustache/ring on Nicholas' face?