Blue Yonder

The Postman Always Rings Twice?

Yesterday, the postman walked up to the door and rang the bell. 

Now, as we don't live in one of those quaint neighborhoods where postman still walk door to door, this was big news. Big. The postman at the door can only mean one thing - he is carrying a package that is too big for our mailbox. 

Little boys crawled out of every nook and cranny to bounce, wiggle and vibrate as I carried the package into the kitchen. 

"What is it?"

"Is it for me?"

"Did you order more blocks?"

"Is it a toy?"

"Does it have my name on it?"

"I can't see!"

"He's pushing!"

"Open it, open it, OPEN IT!!!!!"

They were a throbbing, pulsing heap of anticipation, and I, I was my usual dark and twisty self. 

"Who is this person? I don't know this address. I didn't order anything. What could it be? What if some whack job found my address and sent me a dead chicken or something? What if someone does not like our stance on roosters and has vowed revenge?"

I can't help it, folks. It's who I am. 

So, slowly, I pried open one corner and peeked in. 

And I smiled, big and wide. 

Out came this: 

and we all, everyone of us, knew exactly for whom it was destined.  

One look and Ryder squealed, "That's MINE! That's my GO BOX! It's FOR ME!"

He immediately went to work stuffing things into it. There's a walkie talkie (just one), a plastic pith helmet, a stuffed chirping sparrow and a butter knife (cuz you never know when some toast might show up?)

It has not left his side. 

He even slept with it. For real. 

You know, sometimes it is really hard to be the littlest. The big brothers get to go to vacation bible school and he doesn't. They are big enough to choose and play an instrument, and he's not quite old enough for the drum lessons that he desires so much. They get to go down the street to their friends' house, and he has to be accompanied. It's a tough row for a little man to hoe. 

But then, out of the clear blue, the postman rings, hands you a great big box and you are walking 10 feet tall, with smiles for miles. 

Guess what he's doing right now? 

Sitting on his go box, by the front door, watching for the postman. 

His boundless optimism astounds me, as does the wonderful friend who, in making his little heart flutter, made his mama's whole week, and then some. She's got style, that one. 

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

So, about that whole jet lag business.

It's not so much that I'm tired, as it is that I'm just clueless, walking around all dreamy like and unable to focus. It's weird, like someone slipped me some funny brownies or something.

I keep bumping into things, and even people. At the grocery store today I actually knocked into someone and then excused myself... in Japanese. Picture it... clutzy hispanic looking woman, very white looking kids, and she's speaking Japanese. Huh?

That said, I will now blather on about nothing at all. It's all I'm currently capable of.

My mom brought us a light up Santa to go by our front door.

This might be the best possible Christmas present for a big ol sap like me, because we had one very like it growing up. In fact, it sits by her front door to this day (the ninth front porch it has graced over the years). On the left is the one I grew up gazing upon. On the right, Ryder is chatting up the new one.

In other news (aka shameless bragging on my spawn) my oldest is completely freaking me out with his bigness these days.

He now not only reads to himself, just for fun, (when did that happen?) he also reads to his brothers.

Whoa.

He teaches himself to play Christmas music on the piano too.

"Jolly Old St. Nicholas," while adorable in every way, goes on and on and on all day long, a la Janie, in "It's a Wonderful Life" just before her Daddy loses it and runs out the door to jump off a bridge.

I'm just saying.

It isn't only my children that are leaving me slack jawed in amazement though. I have received not one but TWO completely unexpected and entirely thoughtful gifts from fellow bloggers.

First, Sherrie of Frenchy Finds. Sent me this adorable Japanese Christmas mug to add to my collection, and a hysterical tribute to my fondness for whacking away at paper with my X-acto. Can you believe that? I couldn't. A box of perfectly thoughtful, and absolutely me gifts, just because. Amazing.

Then Molly, of A Foothill Home Companion sent along this bunch of goodness:

That's a little vintage owl plaque, (three owls, looking a lot like three little boys that I know), noodles that I ogled after reading about her amazing chicken noodle soup recipe, and hand embroidered napkins for each of my fellas. Those are going to be used for the first time tomorrow, as place mats under my guy's new Bento boxes. Be sure to check out Molly's unbelievably gorgeous wares at her new shop.

Speaking of food and jet lag, I'm subsisting at the moment on peppermint bark that we made together, and gobs of coffee.

And I'm thinking that eventually all that sugar and caffeine might drive me to actually DO something with the gorgeous fabric and craft books that I brought home from Japan.

It's maybe going to be a little while though, before I trust my clumsy self with the scissors and heavy machinery.

Mama's Got a Brand New Bag

Ever had anyone do something so inexplicably nice for you that it just made you grin from head to toe all day long and then some?

My little ones and I got a package in the mail today from sweet Sarah. Thanks, Sarah, for completely making our day!

For me, she sent this gorgeous handmade bag:

I have pranced, shamelessly, with it on my shoulder ever since it came out of the box!

For my guys, she knitted these adorable snakes:

Can you stand it? She even thought to make them small, medium and large, so that it would be easy for them to decide which snake belonged to which boy. They have had the snakes wrapped around their shoulders for half the day, and each and every boy demanded that his snake sleep with him. So fun.

So, as you can see, Sarah is so talented, and thoughtful. She's also a lot of fun, a fantastic photographer, and just all around sweet as pie. Pop over to her blog, Still Life In Yarn and her flickr page to bask in the sweetness!

Oh, and for those of you who have asked about the bandana pants...

I've posted a tutorial over on the sidebar. I'm not wild about the photos, but it was dark and raining again today, so it was the best that I could do. Go forth and make pants!