Officially Open for Business (again)

A while ago I cancelled my photo collagey-thingy website (yes, that is the official term). I have since decided to list my designs for sale on Etsy. So now, Barefoot Baby Designs (I know, I tend to get stuck in creative-name-ruts, plus I think its cute) is officially open for business! It has all the same designs, plus a few new holiday card designs. Enjoy! :o)

Lucky Puppy...

Meet Darius' new love. We played at the Kreams house today, and had tons of fun. Darius was so excited to play with Lucky, a friends dog who is visiting the Kreams. He is, as Luis would say, a 'real' dog...one a kid can play with without too much concern about hurting him. He is one of the biggest dogs Darius has met.

The most fun thing to do with a big dog is to wrestle him, of course. Darius saw his chance when Lucky was minding his own business playing with a toy on the pillow pile. He pounced...and Lucky pretty much continued to mind his own business, though Rowan was very nice and stayed by to make sure Lucky was happy.

Then, when Darius got bored of jumping on Lucky, there was Row-row (which was a new word for Darius today too).

More fun at the Kreams house:

All gone!

My personal favorite part of the day was when I asked Taye for a kiss, and he gave me one then said, "I love you" for the first time! :o) :o) :o)

All in all we had a great day.

Forget shopping...

We had much better things to do on Black Friday. Our friends Liza, Mike, and Wyatt (with new baby sister Addie) came to town, and we met up with them to play. We also met a new family from the board, Joanie and her boys Connor and Owen. We went to an indoor playspace in Woburn, and spent over 3 hours there. The kids all had a blast. It was so big and the kids were so excited to play that it was a challenge to try and visit with everyone, but we had a great time.

Here is the group together (minus my busy boys, but you all know them). Joanie is in the middle with Owen on her lap and Connor sitting next to her. Wyatt has his back to the camera, Liza is next to him holding Addie, and Mike is behind her. Oh, and that other guy, thats just Luis :o)


The obligatory group shot of the MM boys (Taye-Connor-Wyatt), it actually came out pretty good. (And may I just say that Wyatt is one of those kids that for some reason I just want to pick him up and squeeze him every time I look at him. He is so cute!)

Here is baby Addie...


and Owen...


and you all know Darius...

Now that we've covered the introductions, lets get to the fun! We got there about 20 minutes before everyone and the boys couldn't wait to play. This fish costume was a huge hit. We had Darius fishy (or 'shi-shy', if you prefer)...

And Daddy fishy...

And last but not least, Taye fishy.


In one room they had these horses which looked like so much fun. They were inflatable and you could bounce all around on them.


Taye's favorite was the big 'tree house' which had a big platform so he could run around and around the trunk, and then a slide to get down.


He also liked trying to run through these tunnels, while I stood underneath catching piggy toes.


The ball pits were a big hit with Darius.

And perhaps most importantly, there were lots of toys on wheels.

After all that running around, it was time for a snack break.


Joanie and the boys left after a couple of older boys dragged Connor up a hill by his ankles. These same boys had thrown a basket full of play food down the slide onto Taye, and proceeded to practically tackle him to grab the food away yelling, "thats not yours, thats mine, give it to me!" I later learned they did the same thing to Wyatt. One of them also threw the basket over his head into the baby/toddler area when Darius reached for it. Where were the parents, one might wonder... I felt bad for Connor, he's a very shy kid, and that just terrified him. Liza did tell the staff and they sent a guy over to watch them (for about 5 minutes) but nothing more was done.

Anyway, we stayed a little while longer. Wyatt and family left a few minutes before us, here is Wyatt saying goodbye to Taye who was still very busy in the climbing maze.


It was so nice to see everyone, we had a really fun day.

Thanksgiving

We had a very nice Thanksgiving. We spent the morning at home with Mom, who cooked an amazing meal. There was enough to feed about a dozen people, so we were all able to get adequately stuffed.


Taye was perplexed by this new invention, the napkin, and wasn't sure if he was allowed to use it seperately from the fork.

Darius just wasn't sure about any of it. He had been taking a nap, and literally woke up just as we were about to sit (he's no dummy!)

After we ate and digested a little bit, we headed to the Grinleys to see everyone (oh, and eat pie). On the way, Taye tried out his Jon costume for next Halloween. Though we think it might work equally as well for an Uncle Bunny costume.

At the Grinley's, Darius fell in love with the "Raa" aka Zig-Zag. Beware the fickle heartbreaker Zig-Zag! (see his newer love above.)

Thanks Tia!

As I have mentioned, I blame Tia for my recent craft obsession. Apparently she enjoyes the role. I got an email from her today with a list of homemade gift ideas for kids that she found. In case anyone is looking for an idea or 12, here is the list.

Wooden cars
Play clay and rolling pins
Waldorf doll
Memory cards with family photos
Crayon roll-up case
Wool balls
Photo album
Blocks
Wooden animals
Lacing cards
Patchwork ball
Bendie dolls
Handmade clothing
Dollhouse furniture
Personalized stationery
Craft kits
Tree fort for toys
Floor mat with a road painted on it
I Spy bottle
I Spy bag
Puppet theatre
Puppets
Animal costumes
Bean bags & game for tossing
Hopscotch rug (could paint on canvas)
Play kitchen
Sock monkey
Felt food
Fleece slippers
Crayon cookies
Patterns for knit toys
Knit "little dudes"
Giant building blocks from reused cereal boxes
Plastic water bottles filled with sea shells, beads, etc.
Board book
Felt board with felt characters
Puppets and finger puppets
Stuffed animals
Dolls
Doll beds and quilts for them
Bean bags
Lace up/buttons/snap dolls
Tutus
Personalized ornaments
Doll tutus
Bendy doll sets
Appliqued shirts
Blanket
Personalized frames
Needlefelted animals
More clothes
Fleece scarf and mitten sets
Knitted belts
Sewn purses
Embellished clothes
A rope swing
A wooden square board with 4 casters underneath
Felt boardscapes
Aprons or smocks with pockets for crayons, etc.
Cool magnets and a cookie sheet
Magic wands
Homemade play doh
Sandbox
Lil folk made of spools with acorns for heads, adorned in felt
Beanbags with activity cards
Dancing ribbons and a jingle bell bracelet to wear while dancing
Fleece ponchodinosaur
Crocheted animals
Interactive quilts
Lacing boards
Felt jewelry
Water color paints
Wood with nails and screws to hammer and screw
Roll up chalk boards
Doll cradle from oatmeal container
Slip n slide
Fastener board with string to tie and braid, snaps, hook and eye, buttons, buckles, velcro, frog closure, etc.
Play clothes
Capes
Doll cloth diapers
Sculpey people
Felt animals/dolls
Kite
Fabric food from 1980 McCall's Holiday pattern 7274
Sound matching game with film canisters filled with different materials (salt, rice, beans, buttons, coins, small safety pins, etc)
Box of textured fabrics for matching game
Fishing game
Teepee
Puppets
Frog shaped beanbags wtih lily pads to throw them onto
Ladybug beanbags
Stepping stone floor mat
Fabric tic-tac-toe game
Tangram or pentomino puzzles out of wood
Magnets
Paper dolls
Canvas map of town
Bark blocks
Child sized plates to finish
Knit caterpiller
Rainbow dolls made with pipe cleaners and beads
Cloth shopping bags for "store"
Mail carrier set, with blue shirt, envelopes, cardboard boxes, stickers, markers, address labels, mail carrier bag, mail box.
Garages for toy cars out of boxes
"Superhero lair" collapsible play house
Rattle made from lentils or beans in a handled bottle
Play money
Reused bottles for grocery cart
Cake sprinkles bottle with glitter, beads, sequins, superglued tops, for shapers in play kitchen
Baby quilts and wall quilts
Winter buntingfur slippers/other sewn quilted slippers
Crocheted sweaters
Bunting dolls and waldorf dolls
Stilts made from cans
Bandabouts
Sewing cards
Nesting cans
Dollhouse dolls and little peopledollhouse
Knitted ducks
Pop up doll (wooden dowel pushes the doll up from inside a cone)
Puppets
Play scarves
A playstand
Felt board
Puzzle ball
Knitted balls
Felt patchwork balls
Memory game from lids from frozen juice cans
Magic wands
Rainbow ribbon streamers
Felt shooting stars (filled with beans and a ribbon tail)
Button spinners
Sewn Advent calendar
Doll quilt
Puppets on popsicle sticks
Pressed flowers
Bath crayons
Fabric covered foam blocks
Cloth balls
Bath boats made with Scupey clay
Wooden swing
Treasure Rocks
Stick horses
Craft or cooking apron and chef's hat

Have fun!

Dizzy Kitty

Apparently when he gets dizzy, it makes Grover want to eat bubbles. Go figure.

Sneak Peek...not

I couldn't decide if I was going to wait until it was done to show you the table, or show off what has been done so far. I've decided to make you all wait. :o) But I will show off the 166 blocks that I made my very own self. Forget paying $40 (plus shipping) for 60 blocks, we got 166 for $36. Just another reason making stuff is awesome! To give you a visual representation of 166 blocks, I sacrificed and built some towers with them. It was fun, I think the boys will enjoy them almost as much as I have. And yes, I know, I am now giving them used blocks for Christmas, I am a bad Mama.

I've been bitten

by the craft bug.  I blame it on Tia, who asked me to make knit leggings for the girls for Christmas.  Which I was so excited to do, I love having a project.  And I've finished a pair for baby Eva already.  They are adorable, but I can't show you because then Tia will see them and it will ruin the surprise.  Anyway, ever since then, I have been on a craft binge.  That trip to Michael's last week didn't help either.  Today the boys and I worked on a top-secret painting project.

It began as a very serious undertaking.  Lots of supplies and preparation, lots of concentration.

 

Then Darius discovered body art, and that was waaaay more fun!!
                                                                                                                     

It was a wildly popular idea, and spread like wildfire. 

                            

Which led to even more fun - a bath.

                    

      

I've got more projects planned too.  Tonight I'm going to try and make two canvas bags to hang on the short ends of the train table we're making.  One will hold the train pieces when the table is flipped over, and the other will be for chalk and other art supplies.  We'll see if I'm as crafty as I think I am.  And tomorrow is train table day!!  I'm going to Dad's shop to make it, I'm so excited!