A Number of Things

1.  Nie on the Net.  You may know how I've been intrigued reading Stephanie Nielson's story over the last year and a half.  I'm drawn to this sweet soul whose faith is so different and yet so similar to mine, and who has tasted such suffering.  An awe-inspiring two-part story of her accident and recovery has been written by Jaimee Rose, a reporter for azcentral.com, and can be found here: Part One and Part Two.  Don't forget to check out the Related Links in the right sidebar.

It is an intriguing read.  I want to ignore everything else as I click through the pages, but I find I can't read much without stopping for one of two reasons: if my children are clamouring for me, the story just makes me want to jump up and attend to them as soon as possible.  And if they are not clamouring for me, the story just makes me want to jump up and kiss them for No Particular Reason as soon as possible.

2.  Remember how I said that Photoshop was totally beyond me?  Well, I believe that if something's worth doing, it's worth doing badly until I get better.  So I have taught myself how to use layer masks from this tutorial and the first thing I did was smooth out Joseph's skin tone in a recent picture of him (he was having a blotchy day.)  I didn't save it so I can't show you.  But then I decided to use my new skills to do this (nicer and neater than my previous attempts) and I just had to show you.

Now, friends, THAT flower is neater! And look at those flowers and leaves in her dress! Oh I am so excited!  I am also a little surprised at my new skills.  So is she; you can tell by the expression on her little face.

3.  A little person in a little seat.  Look at Joseph sitting up on the table to be a part of the family at breakfast.  I love it when kids are right in on the family-eating-at-the-table action.  I know it's not always possible for every family, but it's something I get working for us whenever we can.

4. Lego Star Wars. Nat has been playing Lego Star Wars with his Dad on the computer.
He's been talking about characters like "Three-Sepio" (C3PO) and "Only-One Kenobi" (Obi-Wan Kenobi.) He was very disappointed to see that his character Qui Gon Jin was killed by Darth Maul, and would not be coming back to life unlike the "try-try-try-again immortality" you often get in computer games. Mr de Elba explained that the storyline will be following the movies (which he hasn't seen.) Nat is happy to be a new character, Anakin Skywalker. He's hoping for Many Happy Endings there. We're not sure what to say about that.

5.  Bleddercut (n) A cut that bleeds.  Nat made up a new word - "bleddercut," meaning a cut that bleeds.  He swears black and blue that he learned it from me, and I was the first person who used the word.  I never did.  Anna-Lucia now uses it in conversation profusely.  She stumbled on the road the other day and got a miniscule scrape that bled.  Ohhh!  What a drama.  Then came the drama of the "Bam-Baid" ( Band-aid, or sticking plaster) and then the added drama when the "Bam-Baid" came off in the pool.  And I think I may go slightly more loopy if I hear the word "bleddercut" again.