Saturday, March 31, 2007

foggy beach day






we went over to cayucos for lunch and beach play again today. david was in such a silly mood so i had fun shooting some pics of him. gotta get it while the gettin's good! david was giggly, matty threw rocks into the ocean, steve and i started out a little grumpy, but we ended up having a good time. this morning david cruised from the spare bedroom into the hallway ane then DOWN THE HALLWAY all by himself. steve said 'now he can go anywhere, well, anywhere except an open field'. wise words :) i'll post pictures of david criusing tomorrow.

Friday, March 30, 2007

happy cancakes to you...






we went to the breakfast buzz to get pancakes this morning. as we were getting ready, matty was singing 'happy cancakes to you, happy cancakes dear jesus, happy cancakes to you...' hopefully that bible teachin' is sinking in little by little :) matty stacked up the creamers and both boys chowed down on pancakes (as did steve & i) then david insisted on picking up the tab. wasn't that thoughtful? we played at the park and went by art's cyclery for the big bike sale. steve is happy-he got some treats! nap time is coming soon-yea!!

Thursday, March 29, 2007

the update


matty's appointment went SO well yesterday! thanks for all your comments, emails and phone calls. i feel so supported, loved and encouraged. it's funny because, i felt so alone, but its amazing to hear what each of you are facing. life is sometimes scary and unpredictable and we each face challenges every day. but life is also so beautiful and we have to face those challenges head on and just LIVE!

so we were referred by our pediatrician (i initiated the request for a speech evaluation) to see a speech and language pathologist at french hospital. she is such a nurturing and kind person. which is perfect for mattty and for me in my fragile state :) i told matty we were going to go play with a new friend. she had all kinds of fun toys for him to explore. she asked me a lot of questions and was very encouraging. she thought he was adorable (he's got her fooled, at least for the moment!) and very engaging. He was polite and very responsive to her directions. She did feel that his articulation was a bit behind, so that is what we are going to focus on in our twice weekly therapy sessions. david already has two therapy sessions a week, so, i was nervous about scheduling, but that worked out perfectly as well! She said she feels giving him a boost with speech therapy will help him catch up quickly. she also felt that having an older brother with a disability can sometimes casue a little delay in speech. steve and i have discussed this possbility before.

the photo is of a necklace i just made for a friend. aren't the names just too darling?! this would be such a great mother's day gift for a sister, grandma, friend. i know, shameless plug here. but i am just having so much fun with these necklaces and i think they are so personal and precious.

check out lindsey's new blog-imperfect. there is a link to the right. happy thursday!!

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

be brave

there are times i have to literally tell myself 'just be brave' when i walk into a new store or a restaurant with david. because he has a deformity, i know people will do a double-take or even stare. any kind of physical differences are intriguing. i don't think people are being cruel, they are just curious. but sometimes it gets to me and i have to be brave.

well, today i am taking matty for a speech evaluation and i feel like i have to be brave. i am so nervous that we will get bad news. i think he is a bit behind in speech, but i don't think anything major is going on. but still, i'm nervous.

anything going on in your life that requires you to be brave?

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

down time


So my busy day just got suddenly freed up because David has a cold. So I took Matty to school cancelled my dentist appointment and now we'll just lay low and watch a movie and cuddle! Here is a photo I took this weekend in our backyard. It is overrun with weeds because we really want to do some better landscaping back there--so we've let it go. But even in the mess, there is beauty! Have a great Tuesday

Monday, March 26, 2007

jammie time



the boys have their jammies on and their ready for some dr. suess. we've been really into sneetches lately. love the strong messages about commercialism and cliques. david has been a walking fool--well, cruising really. he holds on but he really gets around.
tomorrow is a busy day. i'm in charge of bringing snack for mattty's class tomorrow. so we made muffins again and i got some applesauce for the kiddos. i also have a dentist appointment tomorrow which is not very fun, except the ladies in the office are so sweet and they always want me to bring a basket of jewelry. then in the evening we are going to see a play at the PAC. I think its a cirque de soleil. busy but fun!

Sunday, March 25, 2007

crop


i've been having fun playing with photos--cropping and adjusting the color. i really know nothing about photography except what i learned in my high school photo class and from an ex-boyfriend who took photos. but i have fun playing. we have an awesome camera that just can't take a bad photo--especially in daylight. and we use iphoto on our mac.
tomorrow is monday so its back to the grind. actually its kinda of funny because when you work full time you really appreciate fridays--finally a break! i've heard it said that when you retire, you feel like everyday is friday. so when your a mommy with little ones is everyday monday?! not that i'm complaining! it's a great job!

Saturday, March 24, 2007

elfin forest

check out our trip to the elfin forest. i used one true media to create this video montage. (thanks kelly!) i had david in the backpack (he was super silly) and matty ran around and had a blast. steve was on a bike ride. the wildflowers are starting to bloom. even though it was a gloomy day, the view was incredible!
View this montage created at One True Media
trip to the elfin forest

spur of the moment




Steve took Matty over to a friend's home last night so I was going to lay low with David when Jen called. Her husband was busy as well--so we decided to meet at Taco Temple for dessert. If you live near or ever vaction near Morro Bay you MUST try this place--it's AMAZING! Max and David played for a while until we were seated. We ordered lemon cheesecake and choclate bread pudding-oh my gosh!! Then Max came over and played for a bit. What a fun, spur of the moment, treat!

Friday, March 23, 2007

contrasts


i am loving the contrast of the clear aqua quartz and the opaque bonze freshwater pearls in this necklace. so fun for spring. hope you all have some fun plans for this weekend. no major re-organzing projects, well, except get my books done for the business-yuck! but lots of time to play and relax!!

Thursday, March 22, 2007

this time last year...




we took the boys up to montana de oro to see the incredible wildflowers. We got some great pics. Can't believe its already been a year--and how much they've changed! Matty looks like such a toddler, and David wasn't even sitting up consistently!!

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

buy our new album online


available for a short time, and only on pink casette...

craziness!!


life has been moving at such a fast pace and I feel like I'm pulling kids in and out of carseats more than I am home! driving to and from preschool, running errands and making jewelry have been the things keeping me busy (well, seeing friends, too!) time to slow down a little and maybe catch a nap. here's a photo of a bunch of sterling tag necklaces that I made yesterday. They have been selling really well and my stores are excited about them!! have a great wednesday!

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

makin' muffins






step one-mix up all the ingredients


step two-dance and play with the potholders while they bake


step three-add a little icing on top, just for fun


step four-show off what you made


step five-share with brother

yum, yum!!

Monday, March 19, 2007

matty *heart* gracie


matty seriously loves this girl. she's pretty lovable! we had a 'laid back' lunch at mcdonald's today. when i say laid back--i mean, kids running around in a cirlce laughing while mommies sit back and chat. i personally feel that if you want a nice, quiet, kid-free lunch, DON'T go to McDonalds, because I might be there with my kids having a 'laid back' lunch! matty always wants to give gracie a hug, and a kiss, and an i love you, before we part ways. so sweet.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

DRUM ROLL...






Here are the SCARY before shots. We had no shelving at all, so everything just got piled up on the floor. We bought three industrial shelving units from Costco on Monday and Steve got them all put together. There were boxes that never got opened after the move (uh, two years ago!). Steve said this tower of boxes is a tribute to my organizing skills. It's true, I just shove things somewhere to get them out of the way, thinking I'll deal with it later...well, later came this weekend! The 'after' shot is still not totally complete. We have a lot of empty bins to get rid of, and a couple more boxes to go through. But you can see the dramatic improvement! I set up a little 'office' area to organzie all my jewelry receipts and paperwork. I am super excited about my new fancy office! There is a can crusher next to that CD tower that the previous owners installed. So if I'm done with my soda, I can just crush my can right there, and get back to work--so convenient!!

on the move...



david has been popping up to a stand everywhere and is getting really good at cruising while holding onto the furniture. he is also geting into things--dumping over my drink and pulling apart matty's puzzles. yesterday he cruised his way over to a side table and tossed each of my six pottery coasters over his shoulder, breaking all of the before I could get to him. it was pretty funny (and messy!) it's so fun to see him getting around. he's been very curious lately.
the garage clean-up is going well. we have a bit more to do today and then i'll post before and after pics. the transformation is pretty amazing! have a great day!

Thursday, March 15, 2007

random thoughts for a thursday



i've been busy with this and that...we got shelves for the garage. i am hoping we get some good time to organize out there this weekend. this necklace is the one i'e been wearing lately. it's just large sterling key on a thick chain. i dipped it in liver of sulphur to antique it. the results are fun, but the process is stinky (literally). then i put out some easter eggs and this bunny on the table with a new runner. feels fresh and springy. both the boys had a great day at school today and i had fun getting mommy time! what's on your agenda for this weekend?

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

the latest on the leonards

hmmm...i'm not able to upload photos right now, so i'll move on without them! we are doing well overall. matty has had a few good days in a row--which is a blessing! he seems to be coping a little better, and we've been trying to slow things down a bit. we have a little bug going around the house. nothing major, just a sniffle, but i think we're on the tail end. i have been in a big organizing/cleaning mood. yesterday i organized the spare room closet and we bought shelving for the garage. i hope this continues! there is still so much more to do! steve preached on sunday and did a great job. it was broadcast on the radio, so it was kind of a big deal--and exciting! david has been sniffly and silly and exploring like crazy. such a sweetie! have a great wednesday!!

Tuesday, March 13, 2007



got woken up WAY to early this morning--and with the time change it felt even earlier! lots to do today--
1. get flowers for the porch and paint chips fom home depot
2. look at shelving for the garage
3. clean up my bedroom
4. swiffer/mop the floors
5. drive kids to preschool

brianna--so impressed that your accomplished your to-do list last week (minus the brownies!) sometimes when you have important things to do, it helps to make a list. next time i have a baby that's overdo, i'll try making a list, also!! xoxo

Monday, March 12, 2007

sunset at montana de oro




with the time change and beautiful weather, we couldn't resist driving over to montana de oro to see the sunset. we got there just in time! the boys played for about 15 minutes and then we headed home. somehow our car managed to drive us over to rite aid for a little ice cream. weird how things like that can happen! it's supposed to be 90 today in SLO. we may have to get another ice cream!!

Sunday, March 11, 2007

too much fun!




chrissie and i met in S.B. on friday and got pascucci's for lunch (it's on state street-delicious!), then we walked around a little, got pedicures and went back to the hotel to relax. we watched tv and munched on taco bell and candy. i never said it was fancy--just fun! we slept in on saturday and got bagels for breakfast. then walked around state street a bit more to visit a shop that carries my jewelry. it's called haggle and its on state & de la guerra. check it out if your in the area--fatima is the owner and the shop is filled with lots of handmade goods and imported stuff. we headed for home and took steve and the boys to a mexican restaurant in baywood for dinner. this morning we slept in a little and caught steve's preaching in third service. then we headed to a birthday party for a sweet little girl in david's class. matty did great (relief!) and david really enjoyed himself. the weather is beautiful and it's so fun to have chrissie here! tomorrow we'll play a little more, then say good-bye (boo hoo!). hope you are all having a great weekend!

Friday, March 9, 2007

thanks sis!


this is new vintage leather bag (get it--new, vintage?!) that my sister bought me yesterday. so fun!! off to S.B. I'll be back tomorrow!

Thursday, March 8, 2007

mommy's fun has just begun...





susan came into town last night. we had a little dinner, played with the boys and then watched a movie. this morning we got the boys ready for school and then had some sister time--splash cafe for lunch and shopping around downtown. it was great just being together. i hate to brag--but tomorrow i am meeting chrissie in santa barbara for a sister overnighter. i seriously can't wait! i need a little getaway! i'm thinking pediucre, movie, lay around, and eat a lot. pics to come. what plans do you have for this weekend?!

Shout out!! Congratulations Heldts on your sweet little Kaitlyn!!!