makeover

Before

After
Thanks to all of you that have been concerned and asking how I'm doing! I feel much better and getting stronger each day. Mom will be here with me until Sunday and then I'm on my own again. Since I got an internal makeover with my surgery I went out yesterday (my first outing by myself since the surgery) to get the external makeover. It feels great to feel better on the inside & out!
Here are the photos (don't you love the mugshot picture?).

bubbles, bubbles, bubbles

sock gloves

The latest in Zander's quirky silly behavior is this....sock gloves.


Starting a few days ago, after he saw his Dad wear latex gloves to chop onions, he decided he needed to wear gloves, sock gloves to be exact, at all times. I did convince him that we don't wear them while eating at the table so now he immediately takes them off before climbing into his booster seat.

I have had a good laugh this week seeing all the things you could do while wearing sock gloves. I would think they would be a hindrance to most activities but Zander has proven me wrong. Here are some pics of just a few things you can do while wearing sock gloves....



Read a Book with Mama


Eat Lucky Charms


Color with Kaya


Walk down the stairs


Take care of a Baby


Go on a Ride

If you're thinking that Kaya is my serious child, that is where you are wrong. The same day Zander started sporting his sock gloves, Kaya gave her Grandma a new name, "Bugga."
Oh, those silly kids!!!

a new season

I love spring.....
I love the warm but not stifling hot weather. I love seeing the flowers bloom. I love when my perennials I've forgot about emerge out of the mulch and surprise me!
The other day I was looking at my many plants that had dead parts sticking out of them (because I still need to clean out the flower beds) and stunned by the metaphor between them and myself......

the brown crusty branches are so brittle
making me weak
but the emergence of the fresh green leaves
are so promising
of a bright and healthy season
and the hopes of beautiful blossoms
as I become a bigger and better me.

crafty grandma

Since I've been recovering my mom has been taking wonderful care of me and the kiddos. She cleans, takes care of the kids, takes care of me, and does crafty learning lessons with Zander & Kaya.

Here they are making their number snakes.


I think it went rather well until I rustled out of bed for a few minutes to watch & take pictures......then they started eating glue. Always to impress mommy (or drive me crazy, I haven't decided which yet).




Here are the number snakes. I wonder who I get my need to do crafts and lessons with my kids all the time from?

weekly easter festivities part two

weekly easter festivies part one

fun with uncle michael

Well, fun with ex-step-brother Uncle Michael, that is. My kids have to be thoroughly confused that they have 3 Uncle Michaels and 1 cousin Michael. But anyhow....

The past weekend we had the pleasure to have this Uncle Michael with us to visit. He is one of Matt's best friends, and he is definitely the funniest guy I know. He is also the one who set Matt & I up on our blind date 9 years ago....so it is him we credit for our continual marital bliss...
I always love his yearly visit because he makes me laugh so much. During this visit he told me what an avid reader of my blog he is, so I assured him that he would be the subject of one of my posts. So here he is....there are more very ridiculous photos coming of him later this week.

The kids seemed to love Uncle Michael as much as we do. When he wasn't around they often asked, "Michael, where are you?". Zander loved playing with him and Kaya loved laughing at him.









Michael.....Thanks for visiting us and being one of our favorites......I hope you liked your entry into the CraftyKorisa blog!

perfect day for chalk

dear easter bunny

As you all know, I have surgery tomorrow morning (Monday at 7:15) so this may be my last post for a while......or I may get some really good drugs and really post something interesting.


But I thought I'd leave all of you for a while with some Easter cheer again....and if I feel well enough this week, I'll share some photo remixes and slide shows of the 57 egg hunts we had this week. (that is only a slight exaggeration.......I tend to be very festive during all of the holidays....my kiddos only add to my madness). Yesterday, we wrote letters to the Easter Bunny to leave at the fireplace for him to see when he visited us. The kids loved decorating and telling me what to write in the letters. It was very cute of them.....

Here they are picking out the many stickers to put on the letters.


Kaya is putting much thought into her letter....



The decorated side of the letters.


The Dear Easter Bunny letters...I've typed out what each say below.

Dear Easter Bunny,
Like stickers. Love you
Easter babbit. Thank
you. Please.
Kaya

Dear Easter Bunny,
Thanks for coming to my house.
Can I have an egg please? I also
like a yellow care bear with hat,
orange scissors, and a blue &
red balloon.
I love you,
Zander

picture perfect

I think naming myself a "photographer" would be a little grandiose, "insane picture snapper" would probably be a better adjective for myself. Besides insanely snapping pictures of my little ones I also love to take pictures of another little guy. Which probably drives his mom crazy......since they live next door & I take pictures of him all the time.

Connor always looks at us with the funniest expressions. Almost like he's saying, "Do you people realize how crazy you seem to me?". And then at times he has such a sweet, innocent look and I have to take a picture to try to freeze him into babyhood.....it is so cliche to say but it does go by too fast.....

But here are a few photos of the cute little guy. Zander and Kaya adore him (me too) and you'll see why. Zander also has a major-mega crush on his mama and you'll see why too (she is just as cute as Connor).

The three buddies sitting together

......................................................
Don't they look thrilled that we're making them sit still and pose?

So sweet......look at those eyes.......

Can't you see I'm busy with this egg?

My mommy always makes me laugh!

fancy footwork

go get your camera

"Go get your camera Mama."

After so many attempts at trying to get a picture of my two kiddos, I NEVER thought I'd hear those words. But, the other day, when Kaya and I got Zander up from his nap, he wanted me to take a picture. Once again the two wouldn't look at me but I did snap this shot.



I can't decide if I truly captured the moment or if they planned this pose for me.
They love to look in each other's eyes now and giggle hysterically. Sometimes they'll kiss each other but usually one does it and the other gets mad.
I can't wait to pull out this photo one day when they despise each other!

ready. set. glue!!!

In an attempt to turn my kids crafty, I have been letting Zander stay up late when he takes a good nap in the afternoon. (Those of you that know me best know late means 7:30......but it is late to him!) The last few nights we have been doing things with glue.

The other night started with this flower....
He wanted to make sure the green pom-poms were on the stem and leaves. After that, he just wanted his dad to help. Now that was a sight to see......Matt gluing pom-poms on a flower, too bad I didn't think to take a picture of that!
After a while we noticed that he mainly loved gluing.....not necessarily putting anything on the glue.



Never fear, Zander my dear!!! That is why they make glitter glue and puffy paint!!! I found some perfect miniature size ones at Target yesterday in the dollar aisle. They were perfect for our nightly art projects.
When I showed them to Zander and told him we could do some gluing after Kaya went to bed, he got soooo excited!!! When I was moving the dishes from the table so we would have a workspace, Zander looked up at me and enthusiastically said,

"Ready. Set. Glue!!!"

So here he is after he Ready, Set, Glued. It is so interesting to watch him. He is very particular about where each color goes and really takes his time. Notice the tongue sticking out of his mouth from concentrating so hard.


I'm sure we will do more gluing tonight. If we have any left, that is.......
Zan-Zan is particular about where it goes, but also puts TONS in their designated spots.

Here are the finished products....


an Easter Bunny with a painted egg....

and



an extremely colorful car.

coloring and hunting eggs

You can't deny laughter; when it comes, it plops down in your favorite chair and stays as long as it wants. ~Stephen King

Compassion

I have to admit, this week has been a hard one. I feel like it will never end.....

I have cried more, been saddened more, suffered more this week than so many others in my life. Nothing Significantly bad for me......just a bad week.

It started out with severe cramping and bleeding (which I know I said I wouldn't dwell on earlier...ok, I'm a liar). I was in so much pain, and the bleeding was so much, it had me in tears. But now I feel some better.....horray!!!!
Then we found out Matt's Mammaw.....whom I call Creepy (long story behind that) fell and broke her hip and had to have surgery. But she is now doing exceptionally well...horray again!!!
And then I found out one of my best friend's mom died, she seems to be dealing with it as well as she possibly could......but no horrays there, please keep praying for her.

But ANYWAY....my point here is Compassion.

I've been so down and out this week but I've also witnessed and seen so much love and compassion. I tried to find a quote to describe how I feel, but nothing comes close. I'm just overwhelmed by the love and compassion of the human spirit in the time of need.

To start with....

My friend Rachel.
I sent out a prayer request for her to all of my friends. It was unbelievable to hear the responses. I spent all night worrying about her and her family. I kept praying, Please keep her safe, loved, and at peace through this tragedy. And then I heard her sweet voice the next day....she was doing ok, and I felt so bad about not being able to come see her immediately. And then she said, "Carmon is already here with me." Oh....sweet,reliable, Carmon......What a Friend!!! I automatically felt relief and thought my prayers were answered. When I got off the phone with Rachel I started crying tears of joy and relief.......so happy we had a compassionate friend like Carmon.

Mammaw.
What sinking feeling in the stomach it was to hear she had fallen! But she is such the trooper. I talked to her the next day and she sounded better than anyone I know!!!
It was so sweet that before I called I told the kids, "We have to call Mammaw because she fell and she isn't feeling very good." Zander immediately said, "Mammaw have some stuffed animals in her bed and she'll feel better."
What a proud mother I was to hear such compassion come from my child!

And finally, my problems...
On Monday, which how did my mom know I needed this she sent me a card and package.
On Tuesday, when I was in soooo much pain, my friend Steph called at exactly the right moment, when I needed her the most.
On Tuesday, when I was still at my lowest....my neighbor and friend Indira went and got a prescription for me.....boy, was I thankful.......
On Wednesday, my friend and neighbor Trish, watched my kids so I could go shopping and rest a little bit.....another lifesaver friend....
On Friday, after Stephanie fixed me lunch, I got an incredibly sweet and touching email from my friends and neighbors....Trisha, Laura, Shannon, Meaghan, Indira, and Jessica,....who are going to fix me meals of all of next week. I am so grateful for their compassion and kindness.

So my point is in all of this, isn't is great to see the compassion around you even during the worst of times. Please continue to keep Rachel in your thoughts and remember show a small act of compassion to someone around you.....you never know what it could mean!

easter eggs

To practice glueing and get into the Easter spirit, we made paper Easter eggs the other day. The kids were so serious about glueing on their pompoms.




Here is the complete set of finished eggs....


"My hands can't reach mama."

watch me wednesday no.10 (pappaw

2 treats this week

My first treat......a dining room table with chairs....

After almost 8 years of being a homeowner with a dining room, I finally have a nice wooden table with chairs. I love it! Now when we have company we can all sit together.

My second treat....catching these two reading their magazines, Babybug and Wild Animal Baby, while sitting together on the couch.