tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68751795382951118012024-03-12T19:59:54.566-07:00Capable FatherLiving a thrifty, artsy life as a foster parent, adoptive parent, and stay-at-home father of 9.Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-76335367988883361982013-03-21T00:50:00.000-07:002013-03-21T00:50:02.881-07:00Airing My Dirty Laundry In Public.<br />
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The bain of my stay at home existance. The thorn in my side, the pain in my domestic aspirations. Ugh the trials of my laundry. Yes, I am going to lament the state of my laundry. <br />
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Ok, the reason I decided to write about this started with a comment somone made to me recently when they found out how large our family is.<br />
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"So...what is that like? Like, if your making dinner how many chickens do you cook?"<br />
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This is my reality, so....it's my reality, but many people just can't imagine what its like to live with so many people. So I have decided to do some posts on just what its like from a logistics standpoint to have a super sized family.<br />
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The first thing I will tell you about my laundry is; it is insane. I'm not trying to exagerate but really insane. <br />
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We produce <em>at least </em>15 pairs of dirty underwear <strong>everyday. </strong>Ok, your doing the math, 11 people in the family...15 pairs of undwear? I'm not going to shock you with the details, lets just say that kids are gross, especially the ones that are potty training, and those recently potty trained..ish. <br />
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105 pairs of underwear a week, holy bleach loads daddy. Can you say comando Fridays?<br />
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154 socks per week!<br />
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When I first started staying home I very quickly decided that if the kids could find any two clean (or reasonably clean) socks on their own then that was good enough for me. The thought of matching socks and delivering them back to assigned drawers, fantasy. So matching socks and my kids, nope. Maybe on Sundays and special occasions, somtines if we are going to someones home that has a shoes off policy. If I say your socks need to match, they ask what's the holiday. Our socks go directly from the dryer into a large yard waste sized bin for communal storage and then its good luck to ya.<br />
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How many loads? 4-5 loads per day, ugh. The little ones rarly make it through the whole day without a costume change, then there are all the dance clothes, towels, sheets, and don't even get me started on why kids need to get a new dish towel every time they spill something in the kitchen.<br />
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I am awsome at getting the loads sorted, washed, dryed and then I have a problem. The folding, never enough time. We just call it "the pile" Dad I can't find my team jacket, pants, coat, bra, whatever..."check the pile" This is the 6 foot tall mountian of clean stuff that grows outside the laundry room door during the week. (at this point, please someone say they can relate to this) It grows and spreads down the hall as the kids paw through it looking for school clothes until Saturday when we get to this......<br />
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help. me.<br />
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Its more like fresh straw tossed into a stall for the farm animals!<br />
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Note, that this pile does not include any blankes, sheets, towels! The kids always fold anything square or rectangular first even though I will never let them wear a comforter to school....or a wash cloth for that matter.<br />
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So there it is, super size family laundry. I don't have a double set of washers and dryers so my fantsies of clothes that you just compost after one use, colors that don't bleed, kids that don't spill or pee, cotton that doesn't shrink and tropical climates where all but the minimum of clothes are usless, will continue. <br />
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Oh, and I cook 3 whole chickens at a time.<br />
<br />Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-52079811829164720102013-02-09T23:52:00.000-08:002013-02-09T23:52:57.731-08:00Traveler Vintage Map DresserI didn't take pictures of the before for this one but thats OK. Its a great mid century dresser and I have enamaled vintage maps to the drawer fronts. <br />
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Where do you want to go?<br />
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This one is going to go quick, but I can make another with a similar asthetic. Comment, message or visit my etsy store for details <a href="http://capablefather.etsy.com/">capablefather.etsy.com</a> Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-47536437101568169902012-12-12T16:59:00.000-08:002012-12-12T16:59:19.499-08:00Upcycled Vintage Lace Stenciled Table Before and AfterI've got a before and after for you today. I found this table, solid wood still great for many years of use but super ugly.<br />
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So, you know the procedure by now, clean the stuff off, sand until I can't breath....and paint magic. This time I tried something a little different. I found a few yards of vintage lace that had a really great pattern. After I had a couple of coats of black paint I used some spray starch and ironed the lace on top of the table. Then I used antique white and painted over the lace. After the paint dried, well mostly dried, I took the lace off. <br />
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The effect was great, it turned out perfect. <br />
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It looks even better in person, measures 42" and is selling for $225. I have it listed on etsy; <br />
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/117987925/hand-painted-distressed-black-and">https://www.etsy.com/listing/117987925/hand-painted-distressed-black-and</a><br />
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This would be great for a kitchen table, craft table, game table, dining table.....<br />
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Oh, my kids just said it would be great in a retail store too, cuz it looks like a Victoria's Secret panty table......I don't know, did that just ruin it for you?Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-30346998175957016782012-12-03T23:41:00.001-08:002012-12-03T23:49:46.032-08:00Potty MouthI haven't blogged about the adventures of my large family lately, even though they give me lots of stories I could share. They don't leave me with lots of time! This I had to share.<br />
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We have been working on potty training for about a decade straight around here, OK not really but it does seem like it. I'm sure that I have reached some sort of lifetime record for most poopy diapers changed, at one point we had 5 in diapers and one developmentally delayed teen in pull ups! Holy Crap! Literally. You get creative disposing of that many diapers..... that's another post.<br />
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Well, Bits has been working on potty training for almost a year and we are finally having some success, with kids who have a history of trauma it just seems to take longer and be a more difficult transition. She is three and a half and is finally getting the hang of it. <br />
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This is big news, in the whole community<br />
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Recently I had to attend Gellys IEP, this is a meeting with all the service providers at the school for kids who are in Special Ed classes. No sitter, so the babies were coming with me. The last IEP meeting the babies came with me too, about 10 minutes into that meeting both of them pooped and filled the small office with a stink cloud that you could almost taste and probably clung to everyone's clothes for the rest of the day, gak. <br />
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So when we made it through the entire meeting this time with Bits sitting in the chair next to me and Jack-Jack playing quietly in the stroller, I was thinking, yeah, who's the dad! I'm so awesome, check out my perfectly well behaved non-poopin kids.<br />
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Then Bits took control of the meeting. All the paperwork had been signed and there was some chit chat going on as people began to get up. Bits had waited patiently and sensed here moment. She put her hands on the table and says, "everyone" pause until everyone is looking at her, "so... I am totally pooping in the toilet!" She looks around the room, glowing with pride. Nobody says anything so she continues, "sometimes I puuuuush (making a grunting noise) and make a giant, giant daddy poop! throwing her arms wide!<br />
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Me: Uhhhh.....<br />
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Sideways glances at me as they all try not to show on their faces that they just imagined me on the toilet. <br />
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It was at this point that the Speech Therapist jumped right in with enthusiasm and says, "I love to poop on the toilet!"<br />
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Bits giggles and turns to the Principal, where do you poop? She answers that she loves to poop on the toilet too!<br />
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We all then proceed to spend the next few minutes talking about where we poop and how much we all love to poo, no seriously this really happened. And in a totally non creepy way...It gave me so much more confidence in Gelly's teachers.<br />
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The combination of a three year old with a personality as big as the sun and a bunch of Special Ed providers, that really get kids, made our poopy meeting kind of touching. If they could recognize that my three year old needed this fecal fan club (that was funny) and jumped right in to encourage her, they were going to do a great job for my Gelly too.<br />
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It did encourage my little potty mouth however...<br />
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We have now talked about pooping with <em>everyone</em> at the pre-school, the cashiers at the IGA, and Safeway, all the parents at the bus stop, strangers in line at Goodwill, and just about anyone who will make eye contact with Bits. <br />
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Yesterday she yelled, at the top of her lungs "I POOP IN THE TOILET!" several times at the drive-thru order screen while I was ordering burgers. They didn't hear her, so she had to yell some clarifying details when we pulled up to the pick up window. "THERE'S NO POO IN MY PANTIES, JUST PRETTY PONIES!"<br />
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I just smile and ask for extra napkins.Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-67563971563287995902012-11-30T02:00:00.000-08:002012-11-30T02:00:24.123-08:00Antique Office Chairs Before and After<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love old things so when I found a pair of these early 1900's office chairs I loved them despite the fact that they were missing casters and coverd in grime. One of my favorite parts was the gears and engineering that was put into them to make them ajustable, very industrial. </div>
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Here's the before</div>
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Here's the after!</div>
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I stripped off all the gunk that had built up over the last hundred years, painted them a deep black, and then distressed ther paint job. That was followed by a layer of stain. Then I used some images out of a antique natural history text, illustrations of butterflys and moths and applied those to the chairs. I love the mix of the natural and the industrial on the chairs, its ugly beautiful. Finally a hand rubbed sealer for durability. Oh, I almost forgot I replaced the casters with copper casters.</div>
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These chairs trigger all my horder instincts, but there is a limit to how many chairs I can have... so these are off to market!</div>
<br />Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-19041215287123023572012-09-29T16:28:00.001-07:002012-09-29T16:28:18.911-07:00Chalk Paint Farmhouse GreenI'm doing a second post today of furniture because I was able to finish another great project today! It's a pair of antique dressers that I used my own chalk paint mix to paint. In a future post I will share the recipe that I'm using and loving the results. <br />
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So once again I didn't take the time to do before pics, use your imagination.<br />
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I'll have these at market this weekend too, or contact me for private showing/pick up.</div>
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Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-15538210083191030772012-09-29T11:31:00.001-07:002012-09-29T11:33:13.401-07:00Pink and GreyHere is a set of furniture that I just upcycled this week, dresser, night stand, vanity and bench. This is a set of furniture my girls have all been asking to trade out their current furniture. Sorry girls, its going to market!<br />
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It's beautiful vintage french provential and I have used a deep slate-ish grey and a peachy-pink stripe, finished off with a distressing. <br />
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I will have this set at the Fremont Sunday Market tomorrow, unless it sellls today!<br />
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Contact me via the blog or text, 425-394-3031 for pricing and additional details!</div>
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Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-9409585666292079812012-09-27T15:22:00.000-07:002012-09-27T15:43:20.552-07:00Recycled Brown Paper Bag Dresser<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">In an effort to keep the brood fed and clothed I have been re-doing vintage furniture and making jewelry to sell at farmers markets for years, its lots of fun....especially if you have a hoarder gene like I do... and it allows a parent to always be available when the kids need one. Even if said parent is constantly covered in paint, saw dust, and acrylic sealer!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Here is one of my pieces that makes use of recycled paper bags! First the before, a thrift store find that was really hideous.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Thick brown latex over orange over who knows what.... no hardware, yuck....but I'm kinda a furniture visionary, I could sense its inner beauty. OK, just kidding... it was super cheap, but well built; ugly but quality bones, I can work with that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">If I was one of those awesome bloggers that documents everything with amazing pictures I would now show you the pictures of stripping all the gunk off, sanding, priming and repairing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Then I would have some great pictures of a stack of brown paper shopping bags before they are torn up and soaked in acrylic medium and carefully applied to the dresser.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Next I would have pictures of the special paint that has iron grindings in it that I then oxidize to create the rusted trim.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Finally there would be pictures of my stockpile of vintage drawer pulls that I rummaged through to select the eclectic mix of mismatched pulls on the chest. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">But, I'm not that cool yet so I'll just skip to the finished product</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">A recycled brown paper bag dresser, with rusted trim and eclectic pulls. Seriously, a buyer from Anthropology should discover me!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I love how the paper almost looks like leather, and the rust makes it look kinda industrial. I will have this piece at the Fremont Sunday market this week! Thanks for looking!</span><br />
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Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-21271758607388624612012-04-24T23:41:00.000-07:002012-04-24T23:41:19.572-07:00Happy HomemakerSo earlier in the week we were at the dentist with the kids and Hot Mama was filling out all the paperwork for insurance while I wrangled the kids in the lobby. This was really a treat because it has been <em>years </em>since we were both at any appointment with the kids at the same time. <br />
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This meant that I didn't have to hold one kid down with my foot while a sat on another to fill out the paperwork. I was thinking to myself this is so nice and sat down next to Hot Mama as she finished the forms and notice that she had listed my occupation as.....homemaker.....<br />
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Agh! Why are you filling that out in pen? I can't erase that now! "What are you talking about?" she asked me. "I know all the birth dates."<br />
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Immediately images of this came into my mind:<br />
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Someone please save me if this is how my wife sees me! When you say homemaker in relation to a man there is no good image that comes to mind!!<br />
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"Homemaker, really?'' I asked.<br />
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I got the one raised eyebrow that said, I was a homemaker for years and if you are going to tell me that there is something wrong with being a homemaker I'm gonna let you have it, because its a hard, important job and if your gonna try to minimize that by saying because your a guy you can't be a homemaker then bring it on....you wanna have that fight right here?<br />
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Yes, she really can say that much in just a look.<br />
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"OK" I say, "then can you at least change the spelling to homemakgrrrrr? I can be nurturing and dangerous right?"<br />
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It was then we were called back for tartar scraping so I had to leave it at that.<br />
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Later when we got home I told the older kids that Hot Mama had list me as a homemaker on the paperwork.<br />
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Megs says "ewww, gross flower print dresses, and baking bread!"<br />
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Exactly, nobody wants to look at their dad and think that, the dress anyway, they love it when I bake bread.<br />
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Megs, "maybe kid wrangler, but not homemaker"<br />
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Kid wrangler? Nurturing... possibly dangerous...I'll consider it.<br />
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Anyway, for years I have been leaving that portion of insurance forms blank, and I fill out a lot of those forms, for just this reason. I can't reconcile what I do as a .......homemaker with the girlie image that goes along with that title.<br />
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Might be time to just get over it. <br />
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The truth is I do all the things that go along with being a person who makes a home, much of that mundane and laborious and some miraculous, and I'm proud of that. And if I really look at the day to day of it all it doesn't have a gender. The last time I was scrubbing hard water rings out of the toilets I wasn't thinking "wow this is kind of girlie". And I'm not sure, but I think Hot Mama finds it attractive when I slip into a apron and bake up some bread in my perfectly clean kitchen.<br />
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Being a homemaker means love and service, to your family and friends. Making your home a place that they want to be, that they feel safe and loved. A home that you and your family always want to come back to.<br />
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True, I sometimes mess this up by freaking out that they are all slobs that never pick up after themselves after I have spent the whole day "homemaking"....<br />
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But I'm a homemakgrrrr, nurturing....and dangerous.<br />
<br />Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-56281746860295237332012-04-15T02:47:00.000-07:002012-04-15T02:47:15.383-07:00Market Preview!Here is a peek at some of the great furniture that I will be taking to the Fremont Sunday market tomorrow. I am taking a big truck so this is just some of the great stuff that will be there!<br />
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See you there! <br />
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P.S.<br />
I can ship to anywhere in the USA, so if you see something you like let me know.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-36l47XH9JFI/T4qW-fmA_rI/AAAAAAAAAgE/m1HttznuSzc/s1600/041412+403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-36l47XH9JFI/T4qW-fmA_rI/AAAAAAAAAgE/m1HttznuSzc/s320/041412+403.JPG" width="277" /></a></div>Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-71621789025007421562012-03-31T01:06:00.002-07:002012-03-31T01:06:32.679-07:00Just Speak Calmly....Yesterday I had to make a trip to the craft store to replenish some supplies for a batch of jewelry I'm making for market. Usually not a big deal, half hour trip, even if I have a bunch of babies in tow.<br />
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Most of the time when I go to a store with lots of little ones I get lots of "your brave" or "oh, dad is babysitting today" and honestly a lot of "wow, your kids are very well behaved" This was not one of those days.<br />
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I knew I was pushing it. The kids are all getting over sore throats and sniffles, they were tired, but I really needed to get some stuff and I was already out after dropping Buggy off at dance so I went for it.<br />
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I was in the bead isle when things started to go wrong. I had just found the clearance section and was rooting through the bargains like I was looking for truffles and Jack-Jack started crying. Bitsy had taken his bottle away. Jack-Jack was in the child seat part of the cart and Bitsy was in the basket, Cardo Man was walking; and I had already told him about 21 times not to stand on the edge of the cart, he could tip it over. <br />
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Anyway I told Bitsy to give Jack-Jack is bottle back and she did, after she used her teeth to rip the nipple off. I didn't catch is little act of defiance until Jack-Jack started crying again when he dumped the entire contents of the bottle in his own face, soaking himself and the floor under us.<br />
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I say, "Bitsy, that is not nice, give me the rest of Jack-Jacks bottle."<br />
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"no! you can't say it to me!"<br />
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"Bits, give it to me please" (just speak calmly Capable)<br />
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"NO!"<br />
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At this point she throws the nipple at me and a bottle of red paint I had put in the cart earlier and begins to howl!<br />
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Keep in mind that Jack-Jack is continuing to scream his little head off because he is soaked in milk and his precious nipple is missing.<br />
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It is now that Cardo Man switches from "Can we buy this? Can we buy this? Can we buy this?" to "Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad...." <br />
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"Cardo wait a minute..."<br />
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Cardo bouncing up and down on his toes "DAD, MY POOP IS COMING OUT!"<br />
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Really?<br />
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I have a milk soaked screamer, a paint throwing screamer and one who's "poop is coming out" and a extremely young sales associate asks "Hi, can I help you find something?'<br />
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Yes, yes you can ,I need about 10 more pounds of patience and you might need to get a mop because we just spilled milk all over the floor....and my boy taking a dump next to the milk puddle....Sorry.....smile.<br />
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As we are running to the bathroom Bitsy's tantrum has continued to escalate to the point where she starts to slap at her own face so I need to restrain her hands. We make it to the bathroom before the poop comes out but now we are in a strange bathroom and the little prairie dog has gone back into the burrow, ugh. It is really echoey in the bathroom and Bits has now switched from a wailing cry to just a wahhhh, wahhhh, wahhh cry of rage. Jack decides that sounds pretty cool in the bathroom so he joins in. <br />
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Cardo man finally does his business but now Jack-Jack is trying to stand up in the cart and fall to the floor. So I end up with Jack-Jack over one arm and balancing cardo over one knee while I wipe his hiney with the other hand. (note: at home he can wipe his own hiney but this public toilet was just too far off the ground and the seat was too wide for him to do it without touching the toilet seat to prevent falling in, and I have a problem with little hands on public toilets seats, so I did the wiping, don't judge....there are germs!) Bitsy, still yelling. While am washing my hands I see Cardo in the mirror going to stand on the edge of the cart, AGAIN! I seriously told him about a gazillion times not to. I whip out my super ninja moves as the cart starts to go over, and catch the basket of toppling babies. This scares Jack-Jack and he is once again crying, and I am getting there myself.<br />
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We come out of the bathroom and it appears they have assigned the young sales associate to follow the crazy guy with the yelling kids through the store. This just firmed my resolve to finish this shopping trip no matter what.<br />
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15 minutes later with kids still yelling we head to the register to check out, you know the only register open with the brand new cashier who can't figure out how to ring the coupon and then calls the manager who is on break so you get to know your line neighbors, yeah that register. <br />
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My kids have been yelling for about 20 minutes in this store, still are yelling, and the people in line are thinking "Just get out of here!" The group of three elderly asian ladys behind me are shaking their heads and pointing fingers, there faces are pity, dissapointment, and angry accusing shame.....stop looking at me!<br />
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The general consensus of the store staff and shoppers is clearly this guy is not qualified.<br />
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That's when its my turn to pay, the cashier asks are you a member of our rewards program? No, I am not. She gives me the little talk, I say OK, sign me up (you do get a coupon for $5 off).<br />
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She asks something else, Bitys is <em>still</em> yelling so I say sorry what? Oh, email address.<br />
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Now she can't hear me and says sorry would you repeat that I didn't catch that email...<br />
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So I stand there with milk spilled down the front of me, breaking a stress sweat from the screaming and the rest of the line just wanting me to go away. I pause, look at her and then all the customers behind me watching my little struggle; and in a very loud, but very calm voice I say;<br />
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"Its CAPABLE......FATHER......AT.....G......MAIL DOT COM."<br />
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Cashier, raised eyebrow.<br />
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Me, "well, most days anyway." <br />
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And collect my $5 coupon.<br />
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<br />Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-29931533128556214382012-03-28T10:46:00.001-07:002012-03-28T10:46:30.343-07:00Block Print Paper Dresser Makeover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dresser makeover! Here is the before;<br />
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OK, so not so great at this point. I look at it in the picture and understand why the people at the Goodwill were looking at me suspiciously when I saw the $20 price tag and threw my body across the top of it and yelled mine, mine, mine!<br />
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Just kidding, kind of, I did sit on it and refuse to move until I had a sold ticket. Thrifting can be competitive....hoarders will do just about anything to get their fix. <br />
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Anyway, I had the kids with me and it takes forever to get something loaded into your car at the Goodwill if you wait for the employees to help you; so I used what I call my "Grapes of Wrath Caravan Method." This is where I balance the large piece of furniture on a cart, (no, for real) and then put Jack-Jack, Bitsy, and Cardo in another cart. Then you push a cart and pull a cart. Have I mentioned that I carry bungee cords in my diaper bag just for this? I'm sure people are wondering if I'm walking home, and if the dresser is good enough, I would! I would like to include a picture of this someday but I don't have eight hands.<br />
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Well, our thrifting side show made it home with the dresser and the work began, scraping the stickers off......I have scraped sooo many stickers off furniture that I rarely let them in my home, my kids are sticker deprived. Cardo did bring some airplane stickers home from school the other day that I failed to intercept. He says Dad close your eyes I have surprise and leads me to my room (oh boy, this could be really sweet or maybe the chihuahua pooed and the floor and someone walked through it).<br />
Surprise! "I decorated your bed with my stickers!"<br />
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Airplane stickers all over my headboard, thanks buddy.......<br />
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Sorry, sidetracked, here are the in process pics;<br />
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Sanded, primed and the first couple coats of gloss white paint.<br />
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I'm making an effort to always wear a dust mask, the older kids say that all the dust is making me dumber. I don't know if that is why I can't help them with their math homework after 5th grade. I rough the finish up with steel wool between each coat of paint to get good adhesion between layers, this makes the paint job durable for years.</div>
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I chose a selection of handmade, hand block printed papers for this dresser with a floral theme, then aligned them in strips across the drawers. Then its lots of layers of acrylic!</div>
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Finished Product!</div>
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This dresser is currently available. Message me for details, Thanks!</div>
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<br />Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-79792572435787945412012-03-26T23:30:00.001-07:002012-03-26T23:30:32.735-07:00I Want A FlowerMy sweet little Cardo Man had to make yet another trip to the dentist today. This was one of many trips he has had to make to correct some oral issues that he has had. He has even endured oral surgery at his young age. <br />
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For me this would be enough to <em>hate</em> going to the dentist, he however takes it all in stride and goes happily. He is a little charmer and has all the staff wrapped around his little finger with his brave attitude and smiling face within a matter of minutes.<br />
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Here he is in the chair today.<br />
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He is confident enough now to give the hygenist and dentist instructions on how to do things the right way. Kindly of course, they might be new at this, right?</div>
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After the trip to the dentist it was off the the pharmacy for some meds for his upcoming procedures next week. Hot Mama told him he was such a great boy at the dentist he could pick a treat for himself while they were at the store.</div>
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Guess what he picked.... candy, a toy, chocolate milk.....</div>
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No, he picked flowers.</div>
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I love this boy. When we go to the store he loves to bring flowers home for Hot Mama and this time he thought he needed some.</div>
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He does have a practical side, when they were in line to pay he saw the gum and asked Hot Mama if he could have some gum. She said you can have one treat, whatever you choose. If you want to put your flowers back you can have gum. </div>
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A moment of consideration and then "No, I want my flowers, I'll get gum when they die."</div>
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<br />Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-72123826119651266052012-03-25T22:58:00.004-07:002012-03-25T23:01:11.029-07:00Bug paper Dresser Makeover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Papered dresser makeover, here it is done. I loved the paper, dahlias are Hot Mama's favorite and there are dragon flys and wasps in the paper. Its kind of a ugly / beautiful thing that I like do with pieces.<br />
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Here it is to start with, thrift store find great lines but boring. For you don't ever paint wood people there were several places that the stain had sun bleached and lets face it the world is over populated with wood dressers - you all have one! Now dressers with bugs and flowers on the drawers that's rare.</div>
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I'll skip the pictures of all the sanding and priming, for one they are boring and I don't want you to judge my hoard that was in the back of the sanding pictures. I did end up painting it on my kitchen island so that I could make sure none of the kiddos escaped the house or played with sharp objects.</div>
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Next step is to cut the paper to size and apply to the drawers. This involves soaking the paper in a acrylic solution to expand the paper fibers, putting that on the drawer, smoothing, out all the air bubbles then letting that dry. Light sand with fine steel wool between 3 additional coats of acrylic. Finally I sand the edges of the drawers to remove any paper edges that aren't perfectly smooth and a final coat of acrylic. The whole thing usually takes several days with drying time.</div>
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Drying drawers waiting for a final coat of acrylic.</div>
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Ta-Da, the completed dresser posing for her after pictures. Makes me happy......until I notice i switched the drawers in the picture and the pattern on the paper doesn't match up, Oh well.<br />
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You will be glad to know that she went home with a nice couple at the Fremont Market today. They were kind enough to bring me their ugly dresser they had been using as a donation to my makeover ugly furniture effort. I love Fremont shoppers, thanks guys!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O-PVJORD78s/T2_7g9GZZCI/AAAAAAAAARA/PA80nF0y4m0/s1600/031712+145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O-PVJORD78s/T2_7g9GZZCI/AAAAAAAAARA/PA80nF0y4m0/s320/031712+145.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-72691375514628853822012-03-13T23:24:00.001-07:002012-03-14T10:23:45.022-07:00This Week in Before & AfterThis weeks projects, all of these pieces and more will be in my booth at the Freemont Sunday Market this week. I also can ship all over the country via several carriers for reasonable rates, if you see something you like let me know!<br />
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</div>Before: Goodies collected from thrifting and craigslist stalking, the most expensive item $19.99, the least FREE! It sometimes takes a while for me to re-imagine what each piece should look like so we often have random ugly furniture sitting around the house waiting for me to feel inspired. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aewWNeiX7H0/T2As9T4cSWI/AAAAAAAAAP0/9GGN91N6h_k/s1600/030112+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aewWNeiX7H0/T2As9T4cSWI/AAAAAAAAAP0/9GGN91N6h_k/s320/030112+024.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HMMlwVbqDTk/T2AtBrOHQ8I/AAAAAAAAAP8/sEYLAph5gvQ/s1600/030112+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HMMlwVbqDTk/T2AtBrOHQ8I/AAAAAAAAAP8/sEYLAph5gvQ/s320/030112+030.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Trash or treasure? I see lots of potential and I think I have a bag of knobs left over from another project that will be perfect for this dresser.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3jAkf1RFQIg/T2AtG-7eVHI/AAAAAAAAAQM/rMUAu8NG7r0/s1600/030112+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3jAkf1RFQIg/T2AtG-7eVHI/AAAAAAAAAQM/rMUAu8NG7r0/s320/030112+035.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SHbFV5rCoc0/T2AvWU0eN5I/AAAAAAAAAQU/a-oMHidRqvI/s1600/030112+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SHbFV5rCoc0/T2AvWU0eN5I/AAAAAAAAAQU/a-oMHidRqvI/s320/030112+032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ugly.</div><br />
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After:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JFqBvR6KBms/T2AgDhj1gZI/AAAAAAAAAOs/RnfgAOy6uMU/s1600/030312+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JFqBvR6KBms/T2AgDhj1gZI/AAAAAAAAAOs/RnfgAOy6uMU/s320/030312+014.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7An0xdL3pUU/T2AgGcxdR3I/AAAAAAAAAO0/y1t4_FQDv9Y/s1600/030312+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7An0xdL3pUU/T2AgGcxdR3I/AAAAAAAAAO0/y1t4_FQDv9Y/s320/030312+016.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Rich Pacific Northwest inspired green, painted over a black undercoat to deepen the color saturation, paraffin wax rubbed before the green coat and then distressed. The green comes off where the wax was creating the distressed effect.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QXd79L_hj_8/T2Ago1MSHQI/AAAAAAAAAO8/FrmA-f-sjdU/s1600/030312+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QXd79L_hj_8/T2Ago1MSHQI/AAAAAAAAAO8/FrmA-f-sjdU/s320/030312+026.JPG" width="234" /></a></div><br />
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Electric Apple green with glaze, total transformation from a dated 80's piece of furniture that had outlived its use to a piece that I'm sure people will be fighting to take home from the market this weekend!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GfQ8QrKTuT4/T2AhBuK9rxI/AAAAAAAAAPM/I4TlhUKr8k4/s1600/030312+040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GfQ8QrKTuT4/T2AhBuK9rxI/AAAAAAAAAPM/I4TlhUKr8k4/s320/030312+040.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One of my favorite blues, aqua awsomeness.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VWeBxvp-PWs/T2A5ORDM5eI/AAAAAAAAAQs/ec0wJJDukSI/s1600/030312+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VWeBxvp-PWs/T2A5ORDM5eI/AAAAAAAAAQs/ec0wJJDukSI/s320/030312+013.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The magazine rack is now grape and distressed and the chair I didn't get a before, but the great vintage needlepoint plaid on the seat looks great with the grey.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c8-wk6-iBcc/T2AhOSYRbZI/AAAAAAAAAPU/E515b5xOtuU/s1600/030312+063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c8-wk6-iBcc/T2AhOSYRbZI/AAAAAAAAAPU/E515b5xOtuU/s320/030312+063.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Vintage lamps, now eye candy for any room. I like to use them without the shades and with a antique style low wattage edison bulb. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j9_S7r2L5Jc/T2AhZgnQVNI/AAAAAAAAAPc/NC4o3aor5jw/s1600/030312+075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j9_S7r2L5Jc/T2AhZgnQVNI/AAAAAAAAAPc/NC4o3aor5jw/s320/030312+075.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I didn't get the before picture of this one because once what to do with it I was so excited to get started I forgot the camera. Grey and Yellow, always a great combination but then I used vintage lace on the drawers to create the negative image of the lace, perfect!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q64cVdEQyQI/T2AiE_GVZgI/AAAAAAAAAPk/5pUJ8GaKdBU/s1600/030312+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q64cVdEQyQI/T2AiE_GVZgI/AAAAAAAAAPk/5pUJ8GaKdBU/s320/030312+057.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0eMzBi2i6wo/T2Ay2nf1gmI/AAAAAAAAAQk/8z-Og9061is/s1600/030312+052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0eMzBi2i6wo/T2Ay2nf1gmI/AAAAAAAAAQk/8z-Og9061is/s320/030312+052.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Finally my favorite this week, the ugly monster sticker dresser with no knobs. First a dark slate/navy blue and then I used vintage blueprints that I rescued from a dumpster a few years ago and applied them all over the dresser. The blue prints are detailed and ornate with lots of technical notations and wonderful color, who would throw those away! The detail of the blueprints is a great contrast to the simplicity of the vintage dresser. Finally over sized orange knobs and a dark glaze. I love it! I'm taking it to the market this weekend but may spend the day talking people out of buying it so it can come back home with me!</div><br />
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</div>Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-77878741336137320382012-03-13T00:32:00.002-07:002012-03-13T00:36:02.221-07:00How to say "I love you"We are a say I love you family, we say it all the time, and mean it. We say it when we leave the house, on the phone, at dinner, at bed time, at random moments, really all the time. I'm sure that we make other people uncomfortable sometimes with all the "I love yous", The first time I told the parents of our first foster kids "I love you, your doing a good job", I could tell they believed me but wanted a way to escape from the moment. That was a couple years ago and when I tell them that now it feels natural to all of us, like "of course you love me!" <br />
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With all the love going around I noticed that Gelly has a bit of a crisis when it comes to these moments. I know that he loves us, and will tell us he loves us on his own terms when he is feeling close or particularly happy, but tell him you love him and he's not sure what to do. For him its a loaded statement with an element of risk. He has had difficult experiences with love, loss and people who should have loved him hurting him, he has suffered.<br />
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A couple of days ago we were getting ready to drive to school and Hot Mama told him, "love you Gelly have a good day at school". He responded like he usually does when this is uncomfortable for him, he pretends that he didn't hear it. I guess this was not a real surprise because he had just talked to Mama S a day or so before when she called for Cardo Man's birthday. He had a lot of anxiety approaching the birthday wondering if she would call and then deciding if he would talk to her when she did call. He actually hid in his room for a while when I was talking to her while he decided what to do. My sense has always been that there is some feeling of loyalty that if he loves us he can't love her anymore.<br />
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We got in the car and were the only ones driving to school that day, a really rare thing to be just the two of us in the van. So I asked him. <br />
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"Gelly, why when we tell you that we love you do you some times pretend that you don't hear us?"<br />
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"I not know what you talkin about."<br />
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Keep in mind that Gelly has a pretty serious verbal delay that makes some of these conversations difficult, He is 6 but communicates at a much lower level. I know that he is thinking beyond the level of a 6 year old, sometimes the vocabulary to express really serious things just isn't there yet.<br />
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I said, "I know that you know what I am talking about and I just want to understand how it makes you feel. " <br />
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I explained that when I love someone it makes me feel happy to tell them I love them, and when someone loves me it make me happy that they tell me. "Have you ever thought about how it makes you feel?"<br />
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Silence from the back seat for about two minutes. <br />
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"It makes me feel like I don't know who I am."<br />
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Wow.<br />
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I looked in the rear view mirror into the biggest brownest eyes and could see all the questions that bubble under the surface about who he is, why bad things happened to him, how he ended up with me with no say so in the matter after bouncing through 3 foster homes, his struggle to make sense of his own story. How do you love me when I feel like so many other people didn't, If I love you back does that mean that I can't love Mama S.....How do I find my place?<br />
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My heart broke for him.<br />
We stopped in the school parking lot and talked about who he was; from his birth to the struggles that Mama S had and the danger that put him in, going into foster care, coming to us, adoption and our life now. We talked about the boy I see him as, kind, strong, a good brother, determined, and smart. A person who deserves to be loved and a person who has one life that can have lots of different people in it, family by birth and family by adoption. Not a person with lots of different parts of their life that must be kept separate.<br />
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A boy who deserves to be loved in a way that he can know who he is.<br />
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I was hard to let him go that day, I just wanted to take him back home and protect him from all of the reality of what has been his life. I know he thinks deeply about his own origins but I may have underestimated how deeply. <br />
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The conversation ended with me telling him I was really proud of him for talking about big feelings like that and that he should only tell people that he loves them if he really feels like he should. I told him I really love him and will keep telling him I do, but that doesn't mean he needs to do anything other than know that I really, really mean it, forever. <br />
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I drove home repeating my plea to the lord to get this right for him, to be the dad that he needs and that he will know we all love him so much.<br />
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That night at dinner the family was particularly noisy and in an attempt to just get the volume down a couple of notches I announced to the family, "do you know what would make me a really happy daddy?" I was just going to suggest that we all be a little more quiet, but Gelly raised his hand lightning fast and said "I know!" "I love you dad!"<br />
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Wow, again.<br />
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I love you to Gelly.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tMBNToXMEfE/T173m18rOoI/AAAAAAAAAOc/7lKDc3XR26o/s1600/022512fremont&more+481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tMBNToXMEfE/T173m18rOoI/AAAAAAAAAOc/7lKDc3XR26o/s320/022512fremont&more+481.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-5075909711348797362012-03-03T00:33:00.001-08:002012-03-03T00:34:32.566-08:00Before & After Projects For This WeekI have done quite a few projects in the last couple weeks and wanted to get all the before and afters up in one post.<br />
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I have lots to tell about what is going on with the family and the kids too in the days to come. We have had experiences with birth parents, switching some of the kids to home school, and Gelly coming up with some great questions about why our family has different colors. So check back.<br />
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OK, here goes with the before & afters;<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EsH2vvOohXQ/T1HJ37mBGWI/AAAAAAAAAMM/Jcxhs9S8Uo4/s1600/022512fremont&more+349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EsH2vvOohXQ/T1HJ37mBGWI/AAAAAAAAAMM/Jcxhs9S8Uo4/s320/022512fremont&more+349.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If your one of those people that freak out when in comes to painting original antiques, relax, its a reproduction with a cherry stain that has no personality. A thrift store bargain at $12.00.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xe1LDYLcubQ/T1HLPoY0KtI/AAAAAAAAAMU/WlqT_d1HkwU/s1600/022512fremont&more+843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xe1LDYLcubQ/T1HLPoY0KtI/AAAAAAAAAMU/WlqT_d1HkwU/s320/022512fremont&more+843.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Green paint, antiqued glaze and now we've got something. SOLD</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cNt0nqg259c/T1HLybOc0yI/AAAAAAAAAMc/U9jQCxmFdtM/s1600/022512fremont&more+365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cNt0nqg259c/T1HLybOc0yI/AAAAAAAAAMc/U9jQCxmFdtM/s320/022512fremont&more+365.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Before,$3.99 thrift store find with lots of possibility but ruined finish and a little plain.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RKx0CfFaDrE/T1HMdCxpXgI/AAAAAAAAAMk/tk9DcX5Jwjc/s1600/022512fremont&more+577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RKx0CfFaDrE/T1HMdCxpXgI/AAAAAAAAAMk/tk9DcX5Jwjc/s320/022512fremont&more+577.JPG" width="226" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After, finish restored, birds on a wire added. Simple and beautiful. SOLD</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wm6TlZ3QYGQ/T1HNAsmh_8I/AAAAAAAAAMs/OgmVtpuZCRc/s1600/022512fremont&more+456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wm6TlZ3QYGQ/T1HNAsmh_8I/AAAAAAAAAMs/OgmVtpuZCRc/s320/022512fremont&more+456.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Before, sometimes I get so excited to get going on a project that I forget to take the "before" picture! I remembered part way through on this one, the sanding and part of the priming is done.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qNVU5h-RFpQ/T1HNii0CKgI/AAAAAAAAAM0/CEfdXnoLR84/s1600/022512fremont&more+579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qNVU5h-RFpQ/T1HNii0CKgI/AAAAAAAAAM0/CEfdXnoLR84/s320/022512fremont&more+579.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After: I found this clown paper a couple of years ago and was waiting to use it. It makes me laugh every time I look at it because the clowns look a little evil, well, even more evil than your usual clown. Time out chair anyone?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ntfSi9Mx6mw/T1HOP2pTL7I/AAAAAAAAAM8/buOpV5dXM2g/s1600/022512fremont&more+574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ntfSi9Mx6mw/T1HOP2pTL7I/AAAAAAAAAM8/buOpV5dXM2g/s320/022512fremont&more+574.JPG" width="218" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This chair we'll just go right to the after because I forgot to take the before. This lovely chair was a trash can find. My heart skips a beat when I see legs like this sticking out of a rubbish bin and the kids know that no matter how late we are the 12 passenger van is pulling over for discarded furniture! They are just enjoying the anonymity of our new neighborhood when it happens now. My absolute favorite is when the homeowner sees that your taking their trash and invites you into the garage for some other "junk" they were getting rid of, no seriously its happenss enough times to me that now it seems normal.......my reality. SOLD</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qCcn7zAW8Iw/T1HQnv94BII/AAAAAAAAANE/xwdn6KrtkK4/s1600/adoptionmrn+063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qCcn7zAW8Iw/T1HQnv94BII/AAAAAAAAANE/xwdn6KrtkK4/s320/adoptionmrn+063.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Before, what can I say blagh. Thrift store find that is yelling trailer park chic. Don't under estimate the power of paint and paper.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qJ-FJJdwNCc/T1HRmobRc5I/AAAAAAAAANM/UrmqzL3643s/s1600/022512fremont&more+795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qJ-FJJdwNCc/T1HRmobRc5I/AAAAAAAAANM/UrmqzL3643s/s320/022512fremont&more+795.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After, complete transformation. SOLD</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gEiDUOUIQ68/T1HSApc8PPI/AAAAAAAAANU/nOucpTImIYE/s1600/adoptionmrn+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gEiDUOUIQ68/T1HSApc8PPI/AAAAAAAAANU/nOucpTImIYE/s320/adoptionmrn+057.JPG" width="261" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Before, nice but very dated.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And Finally,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-63GOU4ZFKnk/T1HT0kt-A2I/AAAAAAAAANk/98K37DNF9jU/s1600/adoptionmrn+089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-63GOU4ZFKnk/T1HT0kt-A2I/AAAAAAAAANk/98K37DNF9jU/s320/adoptionmrn+089.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Before, was this even attractive when it was new?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IGKOBxpMJOU/T1HU-KmzaCI/AAAAAAAAANs/9zef97ZlD8Q/s1600/022512fremont&more+606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IGKOBxpMJOU/T1HU-KmzaCI/AAAAAAAAANs/9zef97ZlD8Q/s320/022512fremont&more+606.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After, much better. SOLD</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Just to put these projects in the context of my life as a stay-at-home dad; during the couple of weeks that it took to make these pieces I changed more than 100 diapers, did roughly 40 loads of laundry and drove almost 400 miles to dance lessons......</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-73641669031291040002012-03-02T12:07:00.002-08:002012-03-02T17:27:49.373-08:00Working from home, upcycle desk make-overWorking from home, not the work you do as a stay at home parent to make the home run, but the work you do from home to make make the money is not something that I have figured out exactly how to do efficiently yet. <br />
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That might have something to do with the 9 kids.<br />
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This picture shows how work usually looks for me. I'm refinishing a vintage magazine rack for market, my little Jack-Jack a huge fascination with any small kitchen appliance, and any project I'm working on. This means that for the last year I haven't made a smoothie, loaded the dishwasher or painted much with the use of both hands. This isn't really new, Mooster was the same way and he is 10 now. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Don't worry, I only use water based low/no VOC products :)</div><br />
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</div> A up-cycle re-finish project usually goes in a lot of starts and stops, with a lot of help (or interruptions) from the kids.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e4-XFekq56Q/T1B4jlLquAI/AAAAAAAAAKs/xSezPjqJ2l0/s1600/022512fremont&more+237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e4-XFekq56Q/T1B4jlLquAI/AAAAAAAAAKs/xSezPjqJ2l0/s320/022512fremont&more+237.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Beautiful lines, but destroyed finish and lots of kid carving in the top.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-usr-hFbogMQ/T1B5Iv9rHKI/AAAAAAAAAK0/mGTmWphu2_4/s1600/022512fremont&more+244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-usr-hFbogMQ/T1B5Iv9rHKI/AAAAAAAAAK0/mGTmWphu2_4/s320/022512fremont&more+244.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Patch the chips and gouges.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wGjuaRD5qMc/T1DyIEjX72I/AAAAAAAAALE/IFG5auYJzNY/s1600/022512fremont&more+245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wGjuaRD5qMc/T1DyIEjX72I/AAAAAAAAALE/IFG5auYJzNY/s320/022512fremont&more+245.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sand the whole thing down.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_mLZ59SR_Us/T1EOlj6UWHI/AAAAAAAAALU/Z06IBAnNWaE/s1600/022512fremont&more+250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_mLZ59SR_Us/T1EOlj6UWHI/AAAAAAAAALU/Z06IBAnNWaE/s320/022512fremont&more+250.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Prime with a good stain blocker.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tfhVmxRuDiM/T1EPnbvJMBI/AAAAAAAAALc/KRo9x6TXzI8/s1600/022512fremont&more+252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tfhVmxRuDiM/T1EPnbvJMBI/AAAAAAAAALc/KRo9x6TXzI8/s320/022512fremont&more+252.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Paint on the kitchen island, not the best spot, but I can make dinner and supervise homework and chores from here.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AKHpnGHsbWw/T1EPvE3NBGI/AAAAAAAAALk/PVPjV8jVNts/s1600/022512fremont&more+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AKHpnGHsbWw/T1EPvE3NBGI/AAAAAAAAALk/PVPjV8jVNts/s320/022512fremont&more+043.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Apply the paper.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gq4wSu-u5io/T1EfPK5X5WI/AAAAAAAAALs/8cFln2c3pbA/s1600/022512fremont&more+253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gq4wSu-u5io/T1EfPK5X5WI/AAAAAAAAALs/8cFln2c3pbA/s320/022512fremont&more+253.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I had to live with it for a few days to decide if it needed a dark glaze over the paint and paper, I decided it did.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SxiB_QLwgjg/T1Eigzr-5gI/AAAAAAAAAL8/G0X2ncfIUN0/s1600/022512fremont&more+629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SxiB_QLwgjg/T1Eigzr-5gI/AAAAAAAAAL8/G0X2ncfIUN0/s320/022512fremont&more+629.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b_gIBBO_5ZU/T1EjQk3tTPI/AAAAAAAAAME/5VdDW52hqBs/s1600/022512fremont&more+624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b_gIBBO_5ZU/T1EjQk3tTPI/AAAAAAAAAME/5VdDW52hqBs/s320/022512fremont&more+624.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Finished product at market!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-18720119356556236482012-03-01T00:25:00.001-08:002012-03-01T01:12:37.046-08:00Happy Birthday Cardo Man!Our little Cardo Man turned 5 this last week and it seems like a big birthday for our little man. 5 seems like the age he has officially become a "big boy". He has grown so much in the last 22 months we have been blessed to be is family. When he came to us he came with warnings from his worker and the prior two foster families he had been placed with that he might be severely disabled and have a host of other problems. <br />
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I think he is absolutely perfect.<br />
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He was scared and lost.<br />
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While it has sometimes not been easy and there are things that he will continue to struggle with for years to come as a result of some of the circumstances of his early life (impulse control....no jumping off the furniture, again today). He amazes us with his resilience and just plain appetite for life and fun. We are so, so lucky to be his family.<br />
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He has developed healthy attachments and trusts us now to be there for him, and you can see it in how he is growing. His world is stable again and he is free to just be a little boy. And there is nothing better than the spontaneous hugs and I love yous that he feels safe to give to us, that say you're my mommy and daddy.<br />
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Pure joy. <br />
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We weren't there for his birth or his first three birthdays but I look at him now and think, how did we live each day before our Cardo Man?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vvdEiAwjyAc/T08vpHH34rI/AAAAAAAAAJs/0x71Slt7OPs/s1600/022512fremont&more+1016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vvdEiAwjyAc/T08vpHH34rI/AAAAAAAAAJs/0x71Slt7OPs/s320/022512fremont&more+1016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cardo Man and the awesome robot cake Hot Mama made for him.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8fTs1lq6YvE/T08v6pQvNkI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/WoL24LSDc0E/s1600/022512fremont&more+640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8fTs1lq6YvE/T08v6pQvNkI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/WoL24LSDc0E/s320/022512fremont&more+640.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Seriously, could he be any cuter?</div><br />
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</div><div align="justify" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-22826860940129885292012-02-27T23:43:00.000-08:002012-02-27T23:43:30.748-08:00Back at Fremont Market!About 8 years ago I started making a living, creating and selling art and home decor items, mostly from reclalimed, or reused items. I started in the Fremont Sunday market in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle and since then have sold at many markets and art fairs, opened my own store and sold to many other stores & gallerys. When we moved back to the Seattle area in September I was excited to come back as a vendor at the Fremont Market. Creating art has been a great way to be at home with the kids, make money, do something creative, and involve the kids in the process of creating something from stuff that would be junk, and how to run a business. Some of our best memories as a family have been of early morings heading out to a craft or art fair and the fun people we meet there. <br />
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I have debated whether to start another blog to show and talk about the art I create, Capable Father has turned out to be really personal thoughts on what it is like to be a dad, to adopt, and grow a family that came from lots of different places. <br />
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In the end I have decided to put it all together here, If you follow because the story of adoption and parenting resonates with you then I hope you like some of projects I will feature. If you have met me at market and are interested the creative stuff then maybe you will be able to take a new look at large families, adoption and foster care. Either way I hope you like it, it is impossible to seperate it all in real life becuase making and selling art is what makes it possible for our family to have a parent at home and for us that's necessary. <br />
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I also love that every week my kids see that you can take things that were discarded by others and with a little love and time can make those things into something beautiful, a perfect message for my family.<br />
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Anyway here are some of the pics from this weekend, and a couple of before and afters.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--jf-DTQdEXA/T0x8FxzM2OI/AAAAAAAAAH8/SOIVGNXhZcQ/s1600/022512fremont&more+913.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--jf-DTQdEXA/T0x8FxzM2OI/AAAAAAAAAH8/SOIVGNXhZcQ/s320/022512fremont&more+913.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Boo Boo was the market helper this week, great chance for some one on one time with my awsome girl who is on the verge of becoming more a young women than my little girl anymore. She did a great job helping customers, helping set up and taking all the pictures this week.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ngdeZQkHSHI/T0x-l4__nhI/AAAAAAAAAIs/34UmRHZUpdE/s1600/022512fremont&more+609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ngdeZQkHSHI/T0x-l4__nhI/AAAAAAAAAIs/34UmRHZUpdE/s320/022512fremont&more+609.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Gorgous green!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j-4dt40p2Lw/T0x9wbnze5I/AAAAAAAAAIc/CqSbJdBIYSE/s1600/022512fremont&more+776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j-4dt40p2Lw/T0x9wbnze5I/AAAAAAAAAIc/CqSbJdBIYSE/s320/022512fremont&more+776.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mid-century chairs with an update</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Eua372q8NcI/T0x9Vm8aj6I/AAAAAAAAAIE/fVNYIY8_xmA/s1600/022512fremont&more+849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Eua372q8NcI/T0x9Vm8aj6I/AAAAAAAAAIE/fVNYIY8_xmA/s320/022512fremont&more+849.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This table went home to California with a customer</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZsER3G-bRiU/T0x9gshjG4I/AAAAAAAAAIU/IYj-WQRWabc/s1600/022512fremont&more+795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZsER3G-bRiU/T0x9gshjG4I/AAAAAAAAAIU/IYj-WQRWabc/s320/022512fremont&more+795.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Love the pattern with the black, like framing art!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some of the Jewelry I make from found objects.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gxxm749CixA/T0x9X8dlQ2I/AAAAAAAAAIM/gL5wepuxdZk/s1600/022512fremont&more+818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gxxm749CixA/T0x9X8dlQ2I/AAAAAAAAAIM/gL5wepuxdZk/s320/022512fremont&more+818.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rgfKaFJJWDQ/T0x-EGJEqcI/AAAAAAAAAIk/25-v3pnCpRQ/s1600/022512fremont&more+624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rgfKaFJJWDQ/T0x-EGJEqcI/AAAAAAAAAIk/25-v3pnCpRQ/s320/022512fremont&more+624.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The "you've got my number" desk. I'll be posting pictures of the whole process I used to make this desk soon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AUbDAs1bvPY/T0yARWhzgrI/AAAAAAAAAI8/_5hGqMzegNA/s1600/022512fremont&more+577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AUbDAs1bvPY/T0yARWhzgrI/AAAAAAAAAI8/_5hGqMzegNA/s320/022512fremont&more+577.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Birds on a wire, simple and beautiful.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hBoq5LPCsYc/T0yAXN3ZDqI/AAAAAAAAAJE/OHE-x-_yfts/s1600/022512fremont&more+583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hBoq5LPCsYc/T0yAXN3ZDqI/AAAAAAAAAJE/OHE-x-_yfts/s320/022512fremont&more+583.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Creepy clowns! I told my kids this was our new time out chair!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rh9eRTNmcEg/T0yAkMLrI7I/AAAAAAAAAJM/lcBB5CRucV8/s1600/022512fremont&more+584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rh9eRTNmcEg/T0yAkMLrI7I/AAAAAAAAAJM/lcBB5CRucV8/s320/022512fremont&more+584.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"You've got my number" desk again.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QvkymWnAYdc/T0yBLg-tUWI/AAAAAAAAAJU/HfrhLwzH2jI/s1600/022512fremont&more+388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QvkymWnAYdc/T0yBLg-tUWI/AAAAAAAAAJU/HfrhLwzH2jI/s320/022512fremont&more+388.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Before....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qK3pKSjOTQE/T0yBh4evzNI/AAAAAAAAAJk/075t68B7Qvs/s1600/022512fremont&more+573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qK3pKSjOTQE/T0yBh4evzNI/AAAAAAAAAJk/075t68B7Qvs/s320/022512fremont&more+573.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So there is a peek at what we did this weekend, I would say that it went well because we only took home 2 chairs and sold everything else! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-38252652537116240652011-11-02T22:52:00.000-07:002011-11-02T23:01:43.784-07:00First year, year of firsts.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This last week we had an anniversary, the 1 year anniversary of our official adoption of Gelly, Cardo Man and Bitsy. What a year it has been, full of firsts for them and the whole rest of the family. A great year, a challenging year. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have thought a lot about what to say about this last year, the joy of being able to experience all the firsts with Gelly, Cardo, and Bitsy, the healing I have seen in them. The pride I have felt in the older kids as they embrace their new rolls as siblings. The challenges that come from going from 5 kids to 9 in just a year. The new things that Hot Mama and I have learned about parenting our unique family. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I wasn't sure, and could write a whole novel on all the things that has happened and been felt in that year.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was at the store the other day and got the common question "are they adopted?" Yes, some of them. was my answer. The the ridiculous response that I have heard on several occasions. "I have always wanted to adopt, but I worry I wouldn't love them as much as my real kids" </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Really?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I wanted to go all rabid papa bear on her but just said they are all my "real" kids.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That helped me decide what our one year post would be.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So here is a peek into our daily life over the last amazing year with all our real kids, our real family, and our real love.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwcWf_UN82hdlKL-XF2Au2z1T3qSq8ijQbiy37aJpJ6_7TseaTxsK7SslUJNveApFyHt1PXpQ5E9RxiGTe-uQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
If your thinking about adoption there are more than 100,000 kids in foster care that are waiting for permanent families.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-23412061558834329472011-10-20T21:51:00.000-07:002011-10-20T21:51:12.185-07:00Thats right, I speak baby.I had one of the most satisfying experiences this week. It involved speaking baby.<br />
<br />
I know that I can meet the needs of the kids but people are constantly still talking about the special bond that mothers have with their baby's, which is true don't get me wrong; but often its stated in a way that implies that dads just can't do this. Not so.<br />
<br />
I was cooking dinner and paying attention to the pots on the stove, Boo Boo was watching Jack-Jack for me. She came into the room and said he was fussing and didn't know what was wrong with him. I didn't even need to turn around to look at him to know that the whimpers he was making were his "my diaper is poopy" whimpers. Sure enough, diaper at poo poo capacity.<br />
<br />
Big deal, yeah it kind of was. It was about love and connection, listening. For me it was an actual manifestation of the bond between parent and child. When you can communicate with your baby it just feels good. It says I hear you, I will spend the time to understand you, and I will be there when you need me. It reinforced that connection and made me love him even more, if that was possible<br />
<br />
It made me think about the other kids, not just baby speak. We have just moved and really not much can be more stressful for kids that all the adjustments that come with that. Do I speak pre-schooler, grade school, middle school, and high school? I pray that I will be able to recognize what they need as well as I can understand the difference between hungry, sleepy, poopy cries. <br />
<br />
So for all my kiddos I promise I will try to hear you , I will spend the time to understand you, and I will be there when you need me. <br />
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However, if I get a poopy cry from one you older kids...your on your own.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E5zuB8sNN-I/TqD5lWD3wzI/AAAAAAAAAF0/W4A7QnTfSuw/s1600/snoqualmieoct+1082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E5zuB8sNN-I/TqD5lWD3wzI/AAAAAAAAAF0/W4A7QnTfSuw/s320/snoqualmieoct+1082.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Clean diapers are the best!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QEP_1RnlLVI/TqD5tO79LdI/AAAAAAAAAF8/ZDtfkOOI3J0/s1600/snoqualmieoct+1081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QEP_1RnlLVI/TqD5tO79LdI/AAAAAAAAAF8/ZDtfkOOI3J0/s320/snoqualmieoct+1081.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Dad, can I be done watching the kids now?</div>Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-26077550559682538932011-10-19T23:22:00.000-07:002011-10-19T23:22:17.573-07:00Don't waste anything!We have a large family and have chosen to have a stay at home parent and a career in education..... so we make sure to economize were we can. This means clipping coupons, standing in line for a half hour at the walmart getting them to match ads. Buying in bulk, buying second hand, checking the free listings on craigslist regularly, wearing hand-me-downs and generally trying to get everything on sale.<br />
<br />
This week one of my kids really drove home how much they are learning from our fiscal habits; that they are learning not to be wasteful and look for opportunities to economize.<br />
<br />
Buggy was doing her homework on the computer when one of the twins walked by and asked why she was deleting the text out of an old word document of hers. Her indignant response in that your so <br />
dumb tone "what? you don't need it anymore and I don't want to waste it by opening new file!" I just about died laughing!<br />
<br />
It did give me a good idea though, next week I am adding washing the paper plates to the list of family chores. Oh, and do you think you can put paper towels in the dryer?<br />
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<div align="center" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CrG4FkEgEXw/Tp-95hKloAI/AAAAAAAAAFU/NFhzsRsMVno/s1600/IMG_0032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CrG4FkEgEXw/Tp-95hKloAI/AAAAAAAAAFU/NFhzsRsMVno/s320/IMG_0032.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My beautiful, thrifty buggy.</div>Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-24651645386188297002011-10-19T00:42:00.000-07:002011-10-19T00:42:01.070-07:00Nine turns one!Baby Jack-Jack turned a whole year old this week. We just had his birthday party and it has me thinking about how he came to our family, how much we love him and the journey it has been to be his daddy.<br />
Tall boy is Jack-Jack's older brother, and was our foster child for almost a year. While he was in our home his mother was permanently a resident at a state mental institution. Sad. Late summer/ early fall of last year we found out that she was pregnant again. Needless to say this was shocking, how, why, who is in charge of this person who cannot care for herself?? They were not sure how far along she was and there were concerns because she was being medicated for several conditions. <br />
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Hot Mama and I talked about how sad it was that another child was being brought into this family that had struggled with every aspect of life for so long.... wondered what would happen to this new person coming from a lineage of such disfunction. It never occurred to us that we would be asked to care for him.<br />
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Oct. 4 2010 the caller ID says State of Utah, not unusual.... lots of foster kids in the house. Three about to complete adoption in just a couple of weeks. Meetings, parent visits, worker visits. This call was going to be some other date I would need to remember. I grabbed my calendar and sat down to take some notes. <br />
The voice on the other end of the line was Tall Boys worker. <br />
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"Hi Brandon, Sad Mom had her baby last night, we were wondering if you would be able to pick him up this afternoon or in the morning"?<br />
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Shock. Goosebumps. I might have even laughed.<br />
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We had assumed that another family had already been selected, had not considered for even one minute that we would have this baby in our home.<br />
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I think I stammered asked some relevant questions about health and sex and said that yes, we would pick him up and take care of him for the next couple of days while they figured out where he would be going on a more permanent basis. My heart said, my baby was born and I wasn't there to hold him and my brain said we have 9 kids in the house already, the youngest just a year old in June, and a Tall Boy with such intense needs...how will this work?<br />
<br />
Hot Mama was finishing her last semester at BYU, in class so I couldn't call her. When I picked her up from that school that night I said "mind if we go by the hospital on the way home?" <br />
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We got to the hospital, got checked in as the foster parents and they rolled in a tiny premature 5lb 3oz bald baby boy. Skinny arms and legs because he was in the world sooner than he should have been. The birth had been hard, not from a physical standpoint but Sad Mom was scared, not understanding that she was pregnant, yelling at the staff and then at the baby that she was sure could not have come from her. It hurts my heart that those were his first moments.<br />
<br />
We held him close, changed him, talked softly to him and mourned what he had already lost. That first moment when the precious child so anxiously awaited is welcomed by his family the soft words and snuggles, a warm breast after the hard work of being born. He fell asleep and we put him back in his isolet without a name and headed home. He was having trouble feeding because of his size so would be spending a few days in the hospital.<br />
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On the ride home we tried to convince ourselves that we would be a good spot for this little baby for the next few days while they found him a more permanent placement, deep down I think we both knew that he was already ours.<br />
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Over then next couple of days I would go in and hold and feed him in the morning and at lunch and then we would go back with some of the other kids at night to put him to bed. Mooster and <br />
Boo Boo were the first to go. It was one of the most special experiences of my life.<br />
<br />
We go there and they wheeled out his little isolet, and I can only describe it as souls recognizing each other. Moo and Boo Boo both started to cry, and coo over the baby. We went into the nursing room and they were feeling such intense feelings. I asked them why they were crying and Boo Boo said, a baby should never come into the world like this, alone without a name. Moo said he felt the spirit really strongly that he was ours. He said , "I think that our family has enough love for 20 kids.... to bad there's not enough time for that many." If you could feel love as a palpable presence it was in that room.<br />
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The bonding had started, or who knows maybe their souls did recognize each other, but from that first moment they saw him, he was their little brother and they were ready to protect and care for him. <br />
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We got him home soon and within a couple of days called the worker and told her, don't look for another home, he is home. There were some trials, regulations about placement with our other adoption just 2 weeks away and questions about if our Jack-Jack should stay with us if Tall Boy went back home to their dad. But we had a great, loving worker who advocated for us and our baby and recognized that he was where he should be. We will always be grateful to her. Our adoption was complete 6 months later with the blessing of the biological family. <br />
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He has been a delight everyday of his life! Having him brought so much joy to the whole family. Every time I look at him, smiley faced, cover in food, sleeping with his bum in the air it almost hurts how much I love this boy and how surprised and blessed I feel to be his daddy. LOVE HIM! <br />
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Someone actually called my house and said, "I know you weren't planning on this but would you like to be a new dad today?" How lucky am I!<br />
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Having him makes me look at the path of my life, of our family and wonder at the twists and turns and the amazing surprises you sometimes find is sad places. We have been blessed to adopt four of the most amazing kids ever, its impossible to imagine our family without them....but for them to be with us means there was sadness and failure, pain and trauma. It's a strange combination, but we rise from the ashes, or maybe lift each other from the ashes, and all become stronger.....together. <br />
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Happy Birthday Baby Jack-Jack.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ygqfdb7TLrg/Tp54DIMJlXI/AAAAAAAAAEE/bfWBwqp7jqs/s1600/oct10+154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ygqfdb7TLrg/Tp54DIMJlXI/AAAAAAAAAEE/bfWBwqp7jqs/s320/oct10+154.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Just one day old.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YpE_lYP6x8M/Tp54MHRCj6I/AAAAAAAAAEM/XR5b8y4mR-o/s1600/jackadoption041911+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YpE_lYP6x8M/Tp54MHRCj6I/AAAAAAAAAEM/XR5b8y4mR-o/s320/jackadoption041911+011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Six months old, adoption day.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dUHNxpFXpss/Tp54aFVaE9I/AAAAAAAAAEU/QE6ZG70zRhc/s1600/jackadoption041911+056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dUHNxpFXpss/Tp54aFVaE9I/AAAAAAAAAEU/QE6ZG70zRhc/s320/jackadoption041911+056.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The whole family on adoption day, Jack-Jack slept through most of it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bc5nW-xqh20/Tp54ywSy_oI/AAAAAAAAAEc/c7hIXRMDpFA/s1600/jackadoption041911+128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bc5nW-xqh20/Tp54ywSy_oI/AAAAAAAAAEc/c7hIXRMDpFA/s320/jackadoption041911+128.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After the adpotion when we told him it was official.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--y-690w0fzk/Tp553BwTPTI/AAAAAAAAAEk/SK4zJngKL-Q/s1600/042811+136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--y-690w0fzk/Tp553BwTPTI/AAAAAAAAAEk/SK4zJngKL-Q/s320/042811+136.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Seven months, the first time he noticed the leaves outside his window.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ahY68N9yIDU/Tp57oeMBGZI/AAAAAAAAAEs/FHw5zLvaxiA/s1600/IMG_9904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ahY68N9yIDU/Tp57oeMBGZI/AAAAAAAAAEs/FHw5zLvaxiA/s320/IMG_9904.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Eight months old, adorable!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RRG9k3WKvW4/Tp58GwKezsI/AAAAAAAAAE0/KU2hx7u9gOM/s1600/jackbday+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RRG9k3WKvW4/Tp58GwKezsI/AAAAAAAAAE0/KU2hx7u9gOM/s320/jackbday+034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One year old! This is the sock monkey cake Hot Mama made him. Sock monkeys were his are his favorite, he likes the big red smile.... its cute becuase he smiles back at the big red smile and the monkeys red bum.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rK-7dMx8NeY/Tp58r86BKpI/AAAAAAAAAE8/CRlYdiO1qlY/s1600/jackbday+104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rK-7dMx8NeY/Tp58r86BKpI/AAAAAAAAAE8/CRlYdiO1qlY/s320/jackbday+104.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cake!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mn88n8RlCmc/Tp58-tpVAyI/AAAAAAAAAFE/8cpai2K8egg/s1600/jackbday+144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mn88n8RlCmc/Tp58-tpVAyI/AAAAAAAAAFE/8cpai2K8egg/s320/jackbday+144.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">What a big boy!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_OLAZ0NYD-Y/Tp59RWr8aeI/AAAAAAAAAFM/Mc_swg4HmcY/s1600/jackbday+155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_OLAZ0NYD-Y/Tp59RWr8aeI/AAAAAAAAAFM/Mc_swg4HmcY/s320/jackbday+155.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Happy birthday my boy.</div>Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6875179538295111801.post-92154757354235213422011-06-27T23:23:00.000-07:002011-06-27T23:23:47.081-07:00Could I do it?We had our big birthday bash this weekend, the one for Gelly turning 6 and Bitsy turning 2. The one with all the family, adoptive and birth. In the past there have been lots of family at these events but this time it was a smaller group. Mama S (birth mom) Auntie S and a couple of cousins were all that were able to make it from the birth side of the family. I love the extended family but it was nice to have fewer people there this time because we were also saying goodbye. <br />
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We will be moving to Seattle soon, and while we only get together a few times a year with Mama S and will make sure to continue to visit at least once a year, it still feels sad. Our close proximity to one another gave a sense of security that we will all be losing.<br />
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The party was nice, we were able to talk and laugh together, enjoy seeing how much our kids have grown over the last couple of months. The boys were anxious the couple of days before the visit but were really happy to see Mama S when she got there. Mama S always impresses me at our visits, she brings the kids gifts but not as bribes, as genuine tokens of affection. She takes her time and lets the kids come to her on their own terms, never pushes. She keeps it positive and happy for them, even though I know her heart is breaking. It always makes me wonder how different things might have been for her if someone had been there at the right time to help her.<br />
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I know that it doesn't really compare but I had to say goodbye to one of my kids today and it made me think about Mama S. Hot Mama and Mooster, our 9 year old, were leaving for Seattle today. They are going a month before the rest of the family so that Hot Mama can start work and get the house situated while the rest of us tie up all the loose ends here in Utah. Mooster has been dad's buddy from the moment he was born, we are together all the time. So having him leave, even for a month, was hard for both of us. I am a cryer, I have tried to control it but then my face just does this ridiculous contorted grimace thing that is even worse than crying, so there were tears.<br />
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It made my heart ache for Mama S. She does not have her kids because she does not love them, she loved them enough to know she could not provide what they needed to thrive.<br />
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How does she bear it? Saying goodbye to your precious babies. <br />
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It made me think, could I do it? Could I admit that they would be better off with someone else, or would I have selfishly kept them? Would I disappear from their lives after so I would not have to deal with the pain every time I see them? Would I be mad at the family that gets to hold them and love them everyday? I don't know.<br />
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So here I am learning things about life from Mama S, someone that when we started this, I never thought that I could learn something from. Learning about making sacrifices for the ones you love even when it hurts. About being brave, not giving up and moving on even when everyone is judging you to be a failure. About being a good parent.<br />
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At the end of the day when I was putting Gelly to bed I asked him what his favorite part of the day was, was it his new toys, the cupcakes, going swimming....what was his favorite. <br />
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He said "Seeing my mommy S." <br />
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I said "yeah, that was nice"<br />
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He gave me a big hug and held on a little longer than usual and said, "yeah, I still love her."<br />
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I know you love her buddy, the funny thing is so do I.Capable Fatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05866275659592191727noreply@blogger.com3