We've Been Good

I Hope I Remember This

L2: Momma I can go outside?

Me: OK, you can go in the backyard... put on your crocs first.

L2: Uhhhh! (hands thrown violently across her chest) You're being mean!!!! It's not THERE!!!

(translation- there = fair)

Oh boy....

What I Want for Christmas

a nap...please...pretty please...

A Letter about Lead Testing

Hi,
I am writing concerning the new CSPIA legislation that was passed on Aug 14, 2008 and goes into effect on Feb 10, 2009 concerning the ban on lead and other substances in products for children under age 12. While I commend the overall goal of keeping our kids safe, I feel that the wording and implementation of this law will have a serious economic impact on small businesses who strive to produce safe and handmade products.

I am a stay at home mom with an autistic son and I have been able to make ends meet enough to stay home with him by designing and selling handmade clothing for toddler girls. My clothing is all 100% cotton and is inherently lead free. However, now I will be unable to maintain my family's income because as a seller of one of a kind items I will not be able to afford the required testing on my products.

It seems to me that testing for lead in children's products should be done similarly to how we test for drunk drivers. Do we make every single person take a breathalyzer test at their own expense and post the results in their dashboard every time they get in a car? Instead of the guilty til proven innocent mentality of this new CPSIA law that requires redundant testing of every part at the enormous expensive of the manufacturers, how about just making a law that all children's products can't contain lead. Now every manufacturer big and small is subject to spot checks by the government- like those State Patrol roadblocks they use to test for DUI's on certain days/time when they suspect many people will have been drinking. Just think of all the new government jobs that would be created making a whole new division to oversee and direct all this testing.

That way the government can actually go after those toys that were causing the problem with out putting all of the rest of us whose products DO NOT CONTAIN LEAD in the first place out of business. By making the penalties very steep for offenders the government can recoup any expense of testing all the rest of us. Put those companies who have hazardous stuff in their products out of business and help the rest of us who are making safe products continue to flourish!

Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
A Mom Trying To Keep Her Kids Out Of Day Care

WOW CPSIA!! So now we will be Stay At Home Criminals???

Read this if you don't already know about it.

I bet you didn't know it...but all of us crafty boutique designers have been secretly plotting to posion your children with lead ( have you ever heard of COTTON fabric that contains lead??). Aw man, looks like the government finally outsmarted us and now wants us either behind bars or sitting twittling our thumbs at home wondering how we are going to make ends meet enough to stay home with our children. Now I don;t really think this law was ever really intended for us, but the wording is such that it appears it will be the end of custom boutique as we know it. I am still looking for some answer that says it will not affect us, but so far I can't find one.

It's a good thing I can sew, I guess though in light of the fact that companies like TCP and Gymboree will no longer be able to afford to stay in business with all the testing they will have to do. What company can afford this testing???? Certainly not us little guys (would you like to pay $500 for a patchwork skirt??? More fabrics = more cost for testing). But I bet lots of even the larger retailers will not be able to absorb this cost. I guess after Feb 10 my girl will be the only one wearing my creations- or will that be illegal too???

O Christmas Card... O Christmas Card...

That perfect Christmas Card photo...aren't we all in search of it?? When one looks cute the other is doing one of those alien impersonations, or sometimes they both are. I think next year we will go with a bloopers type card, I would certainly have enough material to choose from eh? Here are some of the photos I sifted through this year...

So here are the 3 that ended up on the card (I can't quite figure out how to save the final card so I can post it here).

Notice the big puckering going on by L2 and the "Ick, don't make me kiss my sister!" expression from L1. Hee hee- fun times!

The Nutcracker...A Boy and his Monkey

Priceless

I have very mixed emotions when it comes to the Bear Building place. Mostly I love it- the look of wonder and excitement on her face, now that is priceless and brings me sheer joy. But sometimes when I look around I feel a little icky about the whole marketing and money part of it. Now of course I usally feel kinda ill when we get to the register, but I mean more than just the panic of what a trip can do to your bank account....I mean the whole thought that someone in here has tugged all this $$$ out of me by pulling on my daughter's heartstrings (to which mine are obviously attached). Now fortunately for me this trip was for her little friend's 5th birthday party, so that made it much less painful on my wallet. So far she has named every bear we have from this place Princess, along with about every other doll or animal in our house....even the suckerfish on our fishtank is a Princess.

In Summary

2 Kids with Pneumonia...before, during and after Thanksgiving...I don't recomend it, at all. Thank God for Emergency Rooms and Antibiotics...they're all better now...and so happy mommy FINALLY let them go outside...

This is the first year that I actually did not decorate the Christmas tree. Seriously, they did it themselves with chairs and step stools. As soon as I realized it I was so sad. I can remember when they were so little I was afraid to let them touch certain orniaments for fear they would break... Now that all of those are long gone, they have free reign. Luckily I am not particular about orniament placement.....

I ran into a friend from back in my working days after Prep class at our church the other night. We just said quick hellos and I was thinking to myself "Why is he picking up someone else's kids???? Where are A and K???" Upon closing my car door it hit me like a tidal wave.... those teenagers WERE A & K. I've been home for 5 years now....

Did you see the handprint on the mantle above?? It came home from L2's PreK today with the following message..

Sometimes you get discouraged
Because I am so small
And always leave my fingerprints
On furniture and walls.
But every day I'm growing up
And soon I'll be so tall
That all those little handprints
Will be hard to recall.
So, here's a special handprint
Just to say
This is how my fingers looked
When I placed them here today.

I just cried and cried!

It's Ruff

Now that I have my new camera Robby has inherited my lil ol Cannon powershot and let me tell ya- he has been liberated. He takes about 200 pics a day now, hence...

Love

I just brought this one back from last year. I listed it so late then I only had time to sell the sample, this one is in plenty of time for a custom size. Look how tiny my baby was then :(.

Can you tell I'm saving up for Christmas?

Sweet and simple tee dress..

Plus more resells.....

I'm about to sell everything that's not nailed down around here. I know I usually say I am sentimental and don't sell her sets....but well... sentiment only goes so far when Santa's workshop is empty. KWIM?

!!!!!!!!!!

Did you ever have...

an insanly visceral connection to a place you have never been? Can something seem so familiar even if you have never actually seen it with your own eyes? I will get there- I just have to!