Hoops for Japan update

Well, Z did it! He had his Hoops for Japan event with 8 family members and friends watching and he shot 145 baskets on his 7.5ft hoop in one hour!
Once we did our math, we realized that this preschooler was able to raise close to $2500 for Japan all of his own accord!

If you would like to donate, here's the information that J sent out last week:

Zane was feeling it during his shoot-a-thon for Japan and made 145 shots in 60 mins - it was awesome! Here is the information for where to give. We contacted them and they are very excited about Zane - they have created a special fund, so when you send money, write that it is for "Hoops for Japan"-and tell a friend
Give2Asia
P.O. Box 193223
San Francisco, CA 94119-3223
Here are the pics
http://tinyurl.com/43p3nfy

Apr 29 at 10:47am

Hoops for Japan

My kids are really concerned about what is happening in Japan, so they decided to do something about it. Z has decided to have a shoot-a-thon where he tries to get as many baskets in his 7.5ft basketball hoop as he can in one hour. Will you sponsor him?
(keep posted to hear about a painting Mimi wants to auction off on eBay for the same purposes)

-if you want to sponsor, you can either send me an email or post here how much you're willing to pay per shot - we expect him to make 60 or more shots, so consider yourself warned!
 (you can also state a maximum)

We're going to have the Backyard Hoops for Japan shoot-a-thon on April 16th (unless it rains)....I'll keep you posted!

Quilt #6 - a car quilt for ze artiste

A really simple square quilt for Ze Artiste's birthday today. It's backed with a very garish but soft boyish truck flannel. I bought a great fat quarter pack that I used for this and Ace's quilt. (he loves it)

Ze Artiste paints

I save all of Ace's formula cans for days like today when Ze Artiste wants to paint. Pinecones are another favorite canvas around here. I love his aesthetic, it's very color oriented and intense on the coverage. When he uses crayons, he uses every crayon, when he paints, all the colors mix together.

ps - Don't forget the giveaway! Tomorrow is the deadline!

Quilting kids

Tonight my kids asked if they could sew. (um okay!) They loved last night's wonky square project that i did ad showed them and asked if they could make their own. I stood next to the machine, did the pedal, and let them not only make the design decisions, but work the presserfoot on the machine and guide the fabric through it. I loved watching them do it. Ze artiste even lasted way longer than I thought he would (thus the smaller square)... The design director could have done it with me all night. This is totally my love language... Making things with people. I've bonded with so many people over a sewing machine - how happy was I to do it tonight with two of my biggest prodigies/critics/challenges/joys.
They go to bed tonight with mommy's heart happy.
And yes, the rockin' scrap box strikes again.

Make: your own font

This was posted here on Designing Moms today, but I thought I'd post it on Libby Dibby too. since I am so excited about it...
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I just learned from this great blog about fontcapture. I learned about it late at night and ended up making two fonts of my own handwriting in the middle of the night... (when else would I do it?) and when the kids woke up in the morning, I had them fill out the cool templates (it was very similar to what they call "homework" - which is anything that has a task to be done on paper) to make their own handwritten fonts. My kids are 3 1/2 and 5, and the 5 year old found it easier than the 3 year old, but after some cutting and pasting, I was able to assemble for my 3 year old son a font of his own with his own letters (it just took a few tries).

I'm just bubbling over with ideas now for how to use our new fonts... thank you cards, iron on transfers, scrapbooking, card making, printing big signs, labeling... the possibilities are just endless and I am really loving having their little handwriting samples preserved and USABLE! After I got the fonts loaded (did I forget to mention this is all free?), my kids fought over who could sit down at the computer and type in their own handwriting. There is something so magic for them to see their handwriting showing up on the screen in front of them. I foresee hours of fun with this.

Afternoon project - Z's hoodie

Ze Artiste got a new hoodie today. I picked up this blank hoodie a few weeks ago at a discount store for $3... Which basically makes me fearless with it... We were a little bored this afternoon, so I asked Z if he wanted to do a project, (rather watch me do a project for him)... Yup. Here's what we got.

Hot houses

It's still hot. Ze artiste is kinda sick so we are stuck in the house trying to move as little as possible. Today we've gardened, watched movies, practiced whistling and snapping fingers. (Oh, and Z keeps telling me to look at him because he is convinced that he's growing taller each minute.) We've colored clothespins with markers (hey, it's a easy, busy task) and now we've decorated chipboard houses with paper. I've been meaning to play with these houses for a few months, but today became the day as I tried to find anything to keep us calm and interested. Ze Artiste and the Design Director each made one (hers - of course is pink and glittery, and his - of course - is quite abstract). Momma's look pretty traditional, but they definitely reflect my busy happy taste. I think they'd look good in a frame  together, as a series.

Inspiration: Mexican tile

I took the Design Director and Ze Artiste out for Mexican food after church yesterday -Daddy had to go somewhere-... And we ended up at this cute place on Lincoln Blvd. In Venice Beach.
The Design Director had a real inspirstional experience. She was busy, dancing to the music after finishing her quesadilla and suddenly noticed the gorgeous tile. She stopped.
"momma, I don't know what that is" and I realized that was 4-year old artist speak for "that pattern inspires me!"
So I told her to take some photos of it with my phone and we'd take them home and draw them into her sketchbook. I loved this moment.

(ps. Not a bad iPhone photo by Ze Artiste, either, eh?)

Dollhouses and stuff

We have been busy around here... Between Z's party (pics to come) and my packing up more than 25 5+lb boxes of fabric scraps for my free fabric friends... I haven't been the crazy blogger I normally am... But I have been having some creative fun... Today, for Teacher Appreciation week, we brought succulents from our yard for each teacher...(my friend Kimberley gave me the best one a year ago that I often give clippings out from)... So there were potting projects, and
some sewing projects (also to come), and the above painting project that the kids did... After last week's découpage birdhouse, I was feeling a little guilty about not letting Mimi do the bulk of the proect herself, so I bought her this unfinished CD holder/dollhouse to paint. The project was a hit and Ze Artiste promptly requested his own to paint. (for his cars to live in) I did the tree on the side of Mimi's house, and the flower stems, but she drew the flowers... And Ze Artiste's abstract 2 handed painting was amazing to witness. He was all about mixing paints... Sister, not so much...

I love seeing their individual talents come alive.

Matching outfits

Once upon a time, my mom (I'll look for a photo) made matching dresses for my baby sister, me, and herself... We have a photo taken and I have always admired that photo with this feeling that said, "I'll never be able to do that". But this morning, on the way to church, we got this photo... (and yes, I am wearing my new grey shirt and pocket skirt)
Mimi had that great dress last summer, but it's too small now, so I made her two new ones this week... The shorts for Z are super long in hopes he can wear them for a long time. Cousin Ryan has a matching pair as does another buddy, Christian...

Happy Birthday, Z.

We've been sick around here. Last night, I spent most of the night up in Z's high bed, trying to help him calm down from all the coughing - and it occured to me at 3am - that 3 years ago at that minute, Z was entering the world - fast and reckless already - so fast, that we were up in the middle of the night, concerned with his lungs not making the transition from fluid to air. The baby nurse was a man and as he did his best to get Z to breathe, he kept saying, "c'mon, BIG Z" and the first of many nicknames was born.
3 years later. Not easy years. Not comfortable years. 3 very loud and challenging years later, we have a boy of many names... a brilliant, charming MR. MAN who speaks, spells, writes and reads more words than we comprehend a 3 year old knowing.ZE ARTISTE, as I sometimes call him... singing in perfect tune, and dancing amazing renditions of things he's seen only 4x on tv - especially if it's High School Musical numbers with involving "Troy" and a form of sport.We have a MONKEY who cannot be tamed, climbs everything and hangs on momma and daddy in spite of his 40lb structure.
We have a LOVEY. Who snuggles best from 6am-7am - or as demonstrated last night while sick - even while sick, by kissing and hugging mommy and daddy each time he notices we're still there.
We have the DINOSAUR. Continually demonstrating the very foreign art of being a toddler boy - mixing aggression, hitting, growling and very sincere apologies within the span of a minute.
there are so many more... and yet they all fail to encapsulate the fullness of heart that we have when we look at our little boy.

Thank you, God, for the blessing, the challenge, the one who keeps us on our knees... our sweet Z.

(as you read this, picture me having had to get up with him multiple times to deal with coughing bouts - i.e. the reason for our cancelled birthday party last weekend... and say a prayer for some healthy days returning around here... we could use the rest)

Ze Artiste is a superhero

Isn't this the very reason that you have a little boy?
Ours is very sick right now - sick enough with this cough and fever (that he and momma have been fighting now for 11 weeks -argh) - that we had to cancel his birthday party this past Saturday. How sad is that? He took the news well, but we've been doing our best to rest up and make this weekend fun while we try to get better to try it again next weekend.

In the meantime - he's still my little superhero - complete with Ruby's crown - and momma's cape. (and draft snake as a sceptor, ay yay yay!)

As we've told him, "never give up!"