Pirate ship...

Thirdborn has a desire to be covered in tattoos and he's got a pretty good start. Most of them are just outlined black, though the ones on his legs are colored. At first his friends would ask "What's your mom gonna say?" and people he met would say "What does your mom think of all that?" His reply?? "My mom is just fine with it, she loves tattoos, she's got three of her own."
He insisted that I go to JonBoy http://blog.saintsabrinas.com/ for my second tattoo, and I think I was a little too picky for Jon's taste, I could tell he was getting a little short with me. I'm an artist also, and I think he thought I was telling him what to do. But I gave him a big tip and went to him for my third, so I think he's ok now. ha! ha!

Thirdborn would like to get the puzzle pieces filled in with the flags of different countries he intends on visiting someday, IN the country he's visiting. He's got room for 8 countries. He's already been to United Kingdom, so if he can just hop on over there, he can get one filled in. Wow! That's an expensive tattoo!

His most recent tattoo is an outline of a pirate ship on his side by JonBoy a couple of weeks ago and in mid September sometime, he will go to a Tattoo Convention with JonBoy and get it filled in. That's a lot of filling in for one day...he's gonna be soooo sore but he got such a deal for being a model/guina pig that it was something he couldn't pass up. I can't wait to see it done, hopefully I will be able to get to the convention and take a look around.

Comfort shawl...

Last summer Firstborn's best friend's dad was in the hospital following a freak accident. I work in this particular hospital, and I always have a sweater with me because no matter what time of year it is, I'm always chilly. Both her friend and her friend's mother were commenting on the fact that it was cold in the building. My daughter http://kirashapedgirl.blogspot.com/ has knitted some gorgeous shawls and because she was in Oregon doing a zoo keeper internship at the time and couldn't be here to support her friend and mom, she showed her love and support by knitting each of them a beautiful, soft, snuggly, comforting shawl to help them feel warm, secure and loved while they were keeping vigil for long hours in the TNICU. She graciously knit them up and sent them off and I can attest that they were put to very good use for many weeks.
This past week, her room mate's mother asked if she would knit a shawl for a friend of hers that just had a miscarraige. I saw it last night and it was snuggly, and soft and comforting and beautiful (and it wasn't even finished).
She is so talented, knitting, sewing, baking, house and animal sitting. I'm a very proud momma.

Car wash...

Third born has been up and productive since 10 a.m. (Dad gave him his pill this morning) What's unusual about this is that he normally sleeps until 4 p.m. He's already cleaned the entire inside of his car, put the Honda for sale out on the busy street, went to get some supplies from Target and is now cleaning the inside of mine. He's even going to give them a bath! How exciting, my poor car was grossly filthy.
I'm really hoping for rain, but I'd like to see my car all clean and shiny first.
Thank you, my baby.

Baby feel...

I love the feel of a baby asleep on my chest, knees drawn up, hands curled into little fists, or maybe a thumb in their mouth, breathing in that snuffly way babies do. I love rubbing my hand over their soft head, the back of the neck ( a very comforting spot) down over their bony back. The smell of them after a bath, warm, soft, baby smell. There is nothing in life to compare to this feeling.

So sad...

My children are grown now and I'm happy with that, and I don't get the 'I want another baby' feeling anymore (good thing, because I'm way too old) but one day I was having pizza and soda at Target and people watching. I saw young mothers with small children in their carts leaving for home. I heard one little boy say in that cute little 3 yr old voice "Mommy, can we go to the park?" and she said "I'm sorry honey, we need to pick up your sister from school." His little voice was so sweet! The mothers talking to their children. It hit me like a ton of bricks that I would never again be pregnant, carrying a child in me, feeling it grow, roll around, poke it's foot out, get hiccups. I would never again give birth. I would never again nurse a baby in the wee hours. It was such a devastating feeling I just about started crying. My eyes filled with tears and the pizza got stuck because I couldn't swallow and my mouth did that weird turn down, quiver thing. I was miserable. I'm looking forward to Grandchildren. They won't be the same as having my own, but I think it will pretty darn special and exciting.

Marble Girl...

When Firstborn and I went to MIA a couple of weeks ago, we saw a marble bust that looks just like Thirdborn's girlfriend. I showed it to her and she said, "I don't look like that, that doesn't look like me." Thirdborn said, "Yes you do, it looks just like you." I say, if she pulled her hair back on top of her head, and we took a picture of her profile...well just look.

Police...

In January, Third Born was walking to school after parking his car when he came upon a man attempting to jump off the Washington Ave. bridge. It's not a very high bridge, but the fall would have seriously injured him if not actually kill him. My son started talking to him, asking what was going on, listening to him, getting him to forget about jumping. He succeeded in getting him down, and found out he had just been released from jail, no one came to pick him up, he was broke, depressed and so on. My son got him to walk with him to school then asked him if he wanted some coffee. While my son was in getting coffee, he asked the person behind the counter to call 911, then he took the coffee to the man. He offered him a cigarette and while they were talking, smoking and drinking, the police came. They took statements and took the man in for help. The man thanked my son for taking the time to talk to him and care. Because of this, my son got a MPD Lifesaving Award. Pretty darn cool, I'd say. He's always been a very caring person and I'm very proud of him.