L is for Lovely and Loki

Today was Loki's Birthday. She turned two. Because we're thick into the shopping season and Mad Dog had to work part of today, we started her birthday festivities off early last night. While I was at work Friday, Mad Dog made a chocolate cake for her birthday. The plan was I would pick up frosting on my way home from work along with an added gift since Lex decided he had to wrap something for his baby sister.

When I arrived home Lex and I slipped away to wrap the Tangled book I picked up for Loki from Lex. He did a good job helping wrap the gift. After that my plan was to tint the frosting I picked up pink, but realized when I was going through my cake gels I didn't have a pink so violet was the back-up plan. Violent Violet. If this it's not a rock n' roll shade of purple I don't know what is. Lex and Loki helped put the finishing touches on the cake. They both worked very hard on their individual sections of the cake. We managed to hold them off for a few minutes while Mad Dog and I put our pizza's in the oven, since neither of us had eaten yet.

We all sang Happy Birthday to her, and she managed to blow out her candle. I think she was a little confused about the whole thing, but I'm not positive. After they had cake and Mad Dog ate some pizza she opened presents. Lex of course wanted to "help" which in a 3 year old's world means open them all by himself and maybe allow her to play with them by the time she is 18. This didn't fly with Mad Dog and I. We repeatedly had to tell him to stop and at one point Mad Dog had him sit in his lap and held him to prevent him from interfering in her opening of her gifts. For her 2nd birthday we decided we would get her a baby doll. I selected the Fisher Price Little Mommy Sweet as Me Doll. The doll is not a baby, but a toddler which measures 14". Along with the doll she got a little stroller and a feeding set for her doll, which came in a bag with bottles, a bowl with spoon and fork and a burp cloth. She fell in love immediately. We still haven't named the doll yet, but she is very well loved. Loki takes her for walks making sure she is strapped into the stroller. She feeds her and tells the doll to blow her nose when she holds the burp cloth up to her face. Lex of course wants to help and like most protective young mother Loki won't hear of it. She yells at him anytime he touches the doll and cries if he tries to leave the room with it. Last night the two went to bed (the doll and Loki) and we heard Loki talking to it in her crib well after Lex has fallen asleep.

Today after morning errands and Build & Grow, Lex, Loki and I went to Mansfield to my Mom's. The kids got to see Nonna, Nana and Papa as well as Uncle Kevin and Uncle Brent. We had a little birthday cake for Lo-Lo and Uncle Brent made cupcakes (STRAWBERRY ones) for Loki as well. She had a wonderful time and really enjoyed the Happy Birthday singing this time.


On the way home the three of us picked up McDonald's and ate when we got home while we watched Sprout. Both kids got to stay up a little bit to watch Frosty on TV, before going to bed. Loki took her doll and they were tucked in together.

It's so odd to think it has been two years. She is such a little person of her own. She has so much personality and is very head strong. Mad Dog will sarcastically say he doesn't know where she gets that from (as he looks directly at me), but I guess if there was anything I wanted her to have it would be a strong will to be her own little person. I'm enjoying this time with the kids, this age where they are becoming little people and seeing how different they are from one another. I can't say we've raised them exactly the same, because I see that there are things I would have not stood for with Lex that I see myself ignoring with her.

But none of that matters, what matters is today my little girl, my baby is two. She is another year older, smarter and prettier. Happy Birthday Lo-Lo. I love you Sunshine.

December 11th: Our Birthday Girl

On December 11th a little girl came into our lives. Her name is Loki Chihiro. Tomorrow she will be two. Somethings you should know about her. Other than that, please enjoy the photos and see how she has grown the past 2 years.

She love peanut butter sandwiches.

She can kick Lex's ass.

She's a Daddy's Girl.

She can talk when she "wants to".

She's fearless!

She's a tiger trapped in a little girls body.

She loves strawberries more than anything else.

She's got ninja skills.

She can sit through a whole movie in the movie theater with no trouble.

She doesn't like "little" dogs.

 She doesn't like when Lex touches her.

She is ticklish all over.

She love doesn't know who she loves more Buzzy or Woody.

She doesn't know Daddy is building a tower for her as we speak.

She is named after the Norse God of Mischief.

She like looking through Daddy's Comic boxes.

She has the power to make it snow in Fort Lauderdale, FL (ask Sean).

 She has a rock n' roll heart.

She is completely independent.

She has a temper that could rival Mount Saint Helens.

She has been to her own comic book collection.


She is my sunshine.

She is Lex's Best Friend.

She said about 20 new words tonight, when Lex asked her to say them.

She has blue eyes.

Her middle name means "A thousand questions".

She can put her coat on over her head.

She can walk up and down our stairs with no help.

She love Maine.

She is beautiful and full of sweetness.

She doesn't like chocolate.

Little Super Models and I Felt that Food

My list of projects since the passing of Halloween has grown longer (oddly enough). With the holidays coming I have many things to get done, some with specific deadlines and others without.

Within the last week I have started gearing up to make some Christmas gifts for Loki. She is getting a play kitchen from Santa (I picked it up on clearance in January/February of this year) and though she has a bunch of play food, I thought it would be fun to make her some. This completely started with the idea that I would make her some felt ravioli. Very simple and cute all at the same time. I made a run to Jo Ann Fabrics earlier this week and picked up some felt and found that they had Simplicity patterns on sale 5 for $5.00. I picked up a great pattern, 2445, which happens to be for play felt food. At a dollar I couldn't not buy it, even if I can't sew I would get through an eggplant or cupcake if it killed me.

Along with the play food I have fallen in love with a blog called i am MOMMA - hear me ROAR! . She does all kinds of amazing things with old t-shirts, fabric and stuff. I first noticed her blog when someone reposted her project called : Upcycled T-shirt Dress. I had to make one for Loki. It's easy. You even sew together the seams on the outside to give it that messy patchy look. I rummaged through stuff of mine, Mad Dog's and even Lex's (mostly Lex's). I found a Star War onies that was 24 month that I could cut. The top would fit Loki, but she wouldn't be caught dead in a onies now - so here come the scissors. Snip, snip. Then I pulled together a few other t-shirts, stained and just thing a little to boyish to put her in.

During our errands today I stopped at A.C. Moore and picked up fabric paint, stamps and thread. Once Mad Dog left for work and the kids were eating lunch I started cutting. I stamped two of the shirts with different foam stamps I picked up and then broke out the sewing machine. I'm happy with the end results, though I wish I had Mad Dog's 10 Things I Learned from Video Games t-shirt to cut up. Damn I was a week too late! I would love have a picture of my lovely Loki wearing it to show you how cute she looks, but Miss Thing was not in the mood for a fitting, nor was she up for a photo shoot (Tyra doesn't to put up with this from her models). Maybe tomorrow if her Heiress is up for it.

After the dress was done I moved on to my felt food. I started with the ravioli since I new that was simple. I sewed little squares of felt together and stuffed them with a little poly-fill. Using pinking shears I cute the edges. I then moved on to the bow tie pasta. Cutting rectangles with regular scissors and then using the pinking shears on the ends I folded them in an accordion. Then by hand stitched the center. I am planing on making a little box from poster board or foam core for them.  I have to pick up a little more of the cream felt to make some more, (I purchased a 1/4 of a yard of this felt instead of buying the squares since it was a little heavier weight.)

Next up were the strawberries. Since Loki loves the berries I thought this would be a wonderful addition to her kitchen. I have to find a little container for them, or I might build one out of popsicle sticks (which I bought today for projects with the kids). The strawberries came from the Simplicity pattern and were made from 9x12 pieces of felt and embroidery thread. I'm very happy with them. 

What else am I planning? I am making an eggplant, squash, and carrots. I have to poke around the internet to see if I can find any other ideas. That was Saturday, tomorrow I am hoping to work on the Giddy-Up Horses for the kids. I have everything for them now that I picked up the right size dowels from Lowe's (thank you for trying Mad Dog). I have to get as much done as I can, since next weekend is a only one project day (our Saturday is INSANE! - but all good). Rather than be blogging I should be cutting, sewing and creating. Or maybe I can get in a little Civ 5 before Mad Dog gets home. Oh decisions, decisions...

Moving on Up!

Change isn't always a good thing, but in the case I'm about to tell you about it is. This past week due to some issues with our "friends" on the first floor, we thought it was best to move Loki's bedroom to the back of the house near Lex's. This meant that we had to do some serious rearranging.

Mad Dog and I took Tuesday to clean out Loki's room into the living room and the kitchen. No small task, but sadly the smaller of the two tasks at hand. We still had to move our room into Loki's old room once cleared out. Now like most parents our room is the catch all for anything that doesn't have a home and even some stuff that does have a home. Needless to say we were not looking forward to the move.

Along with all Loki's stuff we had to move out Gabrielle's bed and "The Stuff Animal" collection. All this moved into our kitchen, making lunchtime impossible. Once cleared out we started the movement of our furniture and "junk" into our new room. In the process we donated clothing, books and even got ride of some stuff that some of us were just holding on to for no reason (and some wrong reasons). We reorganized our books, DVDs and clippings (both Mad Dog and I have huge collections of stuff we pull from Magazines - I will admit mine is bigger than his). 

To make a long story short we managed to move and set up both rooms  by Tuesday night bedtime, finding that they were a much better fit. Issues: we lost our satellite hook-up in the process since we didn't have any rooms except the front living room our bedroom wired (thank you first floor!). Mad Dog and I have had to readjust to having our bedroom away from the laundry room, but it's been a small adjustment.

Loki on the other hand has had no issues. She slept well the first night and has ever since the move. She is enjoying her new surroundings and finding live in her new big girl's room is just fine. Lex's still wants to know why his room hasn't moved, but he'll get over it.

In the next few months there will be additional changes. We will be cleaning out some of "The Stuffed Animal" collection, going through the closet in what is now our bedroom and possibly painting the old bookcases which are currently in Loki's room to give them a new live.

Material Girl

Instead of one large unfocused post, I thought I would do a few short ones. 

This morning before getting dressed Loki had a meltdown. We don't really know why or what set her off, she was just not happy. I ended up sitting in her room with her on her floor with my back against the door while she cried. She was so upset and nasty, but still so cute. I tried to calm her down, but she finally did it herself. Once she was calm she came over and sat in lap for a hug. 

After she ate a little breakfast, we got her dressed. She was in a rock n' roll mood, so she dressed the part today. Even with her temper, she is super sweet you can't help by smile at her even when she is a brat. 

 

Pretty in Pink?

 Once the summer was over, I started the process of fixing up Loki's room. The plan was to have this completed prior to the start of summer, but that just didn't happen.

I started with collage piece featured in Freeze Frame. The second project was Loki's dresser. It was an hand me down from Mad Dog's sister. The dresser itself was nice enough, but very boring. I picked a great color called Raspberry Tart from Lowe's Valspar paint line. After applying two

coats of paint I sanded the edges giving it a little bit of a "used" look. I would like to rough it up a bit more, but for now I'm  happy with the results.

The hardware was the next change out. I wanted crystal/glass knobs for the top draw, but found they were a bit more expensive than I wanted to spend. While shopping at Lowe's during yesterday's Build & Grow outing, I found one I liked, but again if I was going to be paying $4.00 per  knob and pull handle I wasn't going to be happy. I decided to move on from the crystal/glass and just find something I liked. Mad Dog and I talked selected black for the hardware. I liked the I idea of the hard contrast between the paint and the hardware. I felt chrome or stainless steel might just wash away with the strong color. I knew if I found a shape I liked I could aways by a can of spray paint and make it work. That is what ended up happening. I found draw pulls on clearance, very old school pulls for - wait for it $0.32 each. Which in my head meant I could purchase the crystal pulls I wanted. I picked up a can of black satin spray paint and I was on my way.

Since we were at my Mom's this weekend I spread out new paper on the deck and spray painted all the pulls, including the centers of the knobs which were separate components. When we finally got home my priority once the kids were settled was to put the hardware on. Since the pulls were different sizes than the holes on the dresser I had to drill at least one hole for each pull. Lex and Loki of course wanted to help, to the point where Loki lost the chuck for the drill (Mad Dog found it when he got home).

The dresser has been in place and in use for the past week and is now complete. On top its a photo of Loki and her siblings at Christmas last year, along with her solar powered owl friend that I purchased at Paper Source. On the other end of the dresser is Loki's lamp with her new black Ikea lamp shade and her mini-pumpkin which we got at Red Apple Farm. Behind the dress which is mounted on the door and came with the apartment and on the wall hangs Loki's original piece of Raven (Tiny Titans) art work painted by Franco. Perched on top of the painting is a small wall decal raven.

The next project is to replace the book cases in the room - oh and the clock. The clock was butterflies, but since the room has gone to the birds it needs a revamp. I am currently working art work to go over her bed, but it's not finished yet (and I'm not sure how I fell about it). All in all I'm happy how things are coming. The room is just enough girl, just enough rock n' roll, just enough comic book and just enough Loki to make us all happy.

Coming to an Outlet Store Near You! NOT!

Anyone will tell you I can cook. I'm not saying I'm going to be Top Chef or anything, but I am fairly confident in my cooking skills. My sewing skills are a completely different matter all together. I'm terrible. I just have not skill. I have attempted many time over the years to learn. Each attempt if it involves my Mother and Grandmother ends in them fighting over how things should be done. There is a lot of yelling.

Luckily for me Mad Dog has some mad sewing skills. He made the curtains Lex's room and had made the previous ones in Gabrielle's room when we lived in Chicopee. He has made several Halloween costumes for both of us, and Lex. He will using his skills this Halloween too with Lex's request that he be Superman and Loki be Batgirl. The plan is to go old school, not only in that we are making the costumes ourselves but also in the look going for the 1960's Batgirl from the Batman television show and the Man of Steel from the 1950's Superman television show. I will be the stylist to this designer, I will make them look good and work on any props they need.

So I don't sew. Today I did. I have been wanting to make Loki a purse for her to carry around with her. She likes putting things in to bags and putting it on her shoulder to walk around. I have recently went shopping at Jo Ann Fabrics to pick up some fabric for a project for Loki's Birthday Party, which means I have fabric in the house. I set out today to make a little bag for her. Again I have no skills, though I do know who to thread a sewing machine since my Mom and Grandmother would have me do it since I could see better (at least I learned something). With the kids down for a nap I set to work. I won't say it pretty on the inside, but I will say it will serve the purpose.

It's lined and the complementary fabric is featured inside and out. I used an old button I had and a "D" loop to make the clasp. I think if I actually planned it out I could have done better, but I was working through issues as I went. I'm happy with it and Loki seems to like it. Oh, don't worry about calling Vera Bradley she has nothing to worry about.

LoLo in the Sky with Diamonds

My little girl is growing up. She is already so independent and filled with more personality than some grown-ups. At bedtime she gives kisses to everyone and make her way into her bedroom. She takes a sip from her milk and tries to climb into her crib. Tonight she sat on the bench/bookcase in her room and drank her milk. We had a little talk.

I asked her if she was a big girl, and she shook her head yes. I told her it was bedtime and that she had to go night-night, she said "ok". She said OK. So cute. I can't believe she is growing up.

I have a friend that often asks if she can have her. She says "she's so stinkin' cute!" I look at Loki and I look at Lex and they cannot be more different (physically and personality wise). My blonde haired, brown eyed boy and then my brown (curly) haired, blue eyed girl. Loki keeps to herself, she is very quiet most of the time. Enjoying to play by herself often. She also usually has dirt on her dirt. Her knees skinned and stains on the t-shirt.

This post is honestly just to say how much I love her. My little Curly-Q.

Let Them Eat...

Her name is Loki. She is a very unique little girl, with a strong will, a mind of her own and the cutest giggle you will ever hear.

Tonight the Lady of the Manor had a very special dinner made up of fresh strawberries and Turkey Bacon. What more could a little girl ask for? Oh, she did have a little scrambled eggs and raw pea pods. (What a Meal!)

I can't wait until tomorrow when I not only get to spend time with Mad Dog and my little Lex, but I get to spend some time with my little blue eyed girl.

Loki: Verdict Afterwards!

In a continued effort to be fair when it comes to my children, this post is all about Loki. Things you might know, things you don't know and things you don't want to know.

Loki of course has a very unique name, though there are cases of boys being called Loki there are very few or no documented cases of little girls being called Loki (at least on the internet). She is named for the Norse God of  Mischief, she is her namesake if anyone ever was. Her middle name is Chihiro taken from the Miyazaki film Spirited Away, which means "a thousand questions". Though we had no way of knowing what Loki's personality would be I see a lot of Chihiro, the main character of Spirited Away in Loki even at this age.

Loki was born on December 11th, her due date since she arrived via C-Section. She was introduced to her brother Lex later that evening to rave reviews. Lex was very excited about this little person and that she was his baby. We have currently selected and asked someone to be one of her Godparents, my college friend Blue. I think they make a perfect match. I feel Loki and Blue are cut from the same cloth in spirit. She loves to flirt with men, making eyes a people she likes. Her favorite foods are sweet potatoes, fried zucchini and cheeseburgers. Oh, she also likes jelly on her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches which Lex will remind you each time they are asked (Lex doesn't like jelly on his, opting only for peanut butter).

She is the opposite of Lex, with brown locks and blue eyes. Unlike Lex she hasn't attached herself to one "friend". Her few friends do not travel continuously with her as Lex's did with him, they sleep in her crib and bedtime is the extent of their time together. Her friends include Anansi, the spider, Harvey, the pink and orange rabbit (a gift from Blue), Iris, her Groovy Girl Doll and Kia-Lan. She loves her big brother, wanting to do whatever he is doing, copying him to a fault.

Loki has a love of drums, which the Easter Bunny encourage with the gift of a pink drum this past Easter. She is calmed with the song You are my Sunshine. She likes to play Duplo, and understands how to connect the blocks. She loves to draw and gets into her art often wearing as much color as gets on the paper.

She has an ugly side. Her temper can rival that of The Hulk's. When she is unhappy about something, no one is happy because she doesn't let you forget it. She is complete Daddy's little girl and she knows it.  She owns an original piece of art work my comic book artist Franco which hangs over her bed. She has been camping in Maine, to Baltimore Comic-Con, The Crayola Factory in Pennsylvania and to Boston for New Years.

She likes to climb, even taking to the tree house on the swing set at daycare. Loki loves our cat Spirit, hugging her and laying her head on Spirits body using her as a pillow while watching television in our room. When she gets in trouble and does throw a fit, she will hang her head low and wonder off like she has just lost her best friend. Loki gets very upset when things are not just so, if her sock falls off, if the top falls off the back of her marker or if she spills milk crying or calling to you to help her out.

Loki is full of personality, more so than other children her age. She marches to her own beat, unless she is trying to emulate her big brother. She is not a little princess, more like a the Queen of Hearts - would watch out because it might be "OFF WITH YOUR HEAD"!

Little Rock 'n' Roll Heart

I have no music talent. When I was a kid I tried the Saxophone and then the piano, but we learned early on that I wasn't going to be playing any concerts anytime soon. Lucky for me I had other talents in the arts. With all this say music has shaped my life and memories.

When I was a kids I remember playing records on my Mom and Dad's stereo in our living room. I would dance around and stop the moment anyone came into the room. What was I listening to? Blonde, Meatloaf, Wings were the sounds of our house. At my Grandmothers, I would listen to records on her old record player hearing the sounds of Rosemary Clooney, Louis Prima, Claudio Villa - which basically was like listening to The Big Night Soundtrack. On road trips I would hear the sounds of the Beatles, Don Mclean, and Fleetwood Mac with my Dad drumming the steering wheel. In junior high and early high school my friends and I would make music videos in our basement to The Beastie Boys, Madonna and Guns N' Roses. The list goes on and on.

My musical tastes are all over the place. My Ipod bounces from one genre to another and surprise people from time to time (even Mad Dog). When woman get pregnant they play Mozart or Beethoven, though I love classically music that wasn't the way I went. I would be in my car, playing music loud for Lex to hear in the womb, but my selections were Billy Joel, Eric Clapton and Ookla The Mok. When he was born, I didn't sing him Rocka-Bye Baby I sang him Birdhouse to Your Soul. I have never not listened to what I want. Even now when Lex asks for music, I play him a song and play me a song opening his eyes to other music. Some of his favorite songs are: Real Gone by Sheryl Crow, Hey Baby by No Doubt, Teen Titans by Puffy Ami Yumi and Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts. Last week he became a huge fan of Mambo Italiano by Rosemary Clooney, asking for "Mambo" time and time again.

Loki is a rock and roll fan, knowing just the right place in Real Gone to place the "Uhh". Quite often you will find Loki dancing in the Kitchen on singing to herself in bed. She is always drumming something. Because of this the Easter Bunny brought our Little Rocker a Drum. A PINK Drum (Fun in a Drum by First Act Discovery - not this one exactly). Yes, I know - STUPID PARENT. But honestly it's not that bad and she loves it. She knows how to use the sticks and she even sets the tambourine next to the drum and plays between the two. She plays and gets all excited. I promised her if she want to play this and commits to it I will by her a bigger set (Yes, I remember she is only 16 months and no I'm not STUPID but comes on a DRUMMER how cool is that).

Today when it came time for Loki's "song" I put on Eric Clapton's "I've Got a Rock 'n' Roll Heart". Lex asked if it was Loki's song and I told him yes! I have a lot of GOOD music to introduce her too before Mad Dog pulls her to the dark side.  I have not doubt in my mind that my Little Drummer Girl in her leather jacket and mischief smile has a Rock 'n' Roll heart deep down inside.