Sunday, August 16, 2009

This is how Picasso started out, too...

Ricardo turned forty-two at the beginning of August, and I've been a slacking blogger and didn't even mention it.

If you do the math, you will realize that he totally robbed the cradle. He's almost 9 1/2 years older than me. No complaints, though. In fact, that was one of the things on my list of what I wanted in a man. An older guy, and also one that spoke a different language. I scored on both counts.

We won't mention the fact that the older the guy, the more set in his ways....that's just how it goes.

Savannah heard the word "birthday" and immediately her mind went to cake. I can only handle making one fancy cake a year, so Ricardo got a plain Jane cake with a strawberry filling. Savannah tried offering him a choice of a Batman cake or a Dora cake, but mama said no.

I didn't even make him fresh buttercream frosting; instead, I remembered that I had a good bit of the BRIGHT pink and green frosting leftover from Savannah's birthday in the freezer. Mixed them together, added a little blue, and voila. I hoped that nobody noticed the slightly freezer burned taste, and at the rate they devoured the cake, I guess it wasn't an issue.

I found Savannah letting all of the cold air out of the fridge more than once that day as she sat and stared at the cake.




These pictures crack me up. Savannah has recently left off scribbling and realized that she could draw actual, um...people. (What, they don't look like people to you??) Right now you can look anywhere in our house and find it littered with papers sporting fine specimens like these:




Of course, she has to tell us which is Mommy and which is Daddy, since it's a little hard to tell. The only difference is the mile-long eyelashes that she puts on my drawing, which, by the way is NOT true to life. My favorite things are the freakishly long teeth, the arms coming out of the head, and the humongous nostrils.

So, I know I've been terribly absent from blogland - lately the blog design business has been taking ALL of my free time. Which is great from a business standpoint, but not so terrific when it comes to anything else. Still trying to find balance, because I really do miss blogging.

Thanks to Sara for hosting Project 365!

29 comments:

Kendra said...

Welcome back!

The drawings crack me up. Trying to figure out which monster is supposed to be you is always a fun game!

At least you did better than me on the birthday cake. As long as it's edible, it's a good cake, I guess!

Carpool Queen said...

The only way Mr. CPQ knows it's his birthday is if I frost the cake. I'm so LAZY about frosting cake, it's not even funny.

sara said...

the first picture looks like she is jumping off the roof to her daddy!!! I had to look twice at it! ha!

I had to laugh at the drawings because my son's 1st grade teacher and I had a good laugh at the end of the year when we compared 2 of his drawings of his family. One from the beginning of the year and one at the end.....the only difference.....I had boobs!!!!

Aspiemom said...

Are there ANY children who don't start out drawing the arms coming out of the head? I just love the teeth!

I love it that she was standing with the door open, oggling the cake!

LuAnn said...

My kids drew the same way. But I have to say I just love the teeth. Frame those!!!

Anonymous said...

OK, I have to ask, how old exactly is Savannah? I thought she was about the same age as my little girl, and mine is NOT writing yet. She's an excellent colorer, but no writing. I'm just curious. :)

Rachelle said...

I sure needed you here on family night! You have mad cake skills! :) Happy Birthday Ricardo!

Carrie said...

LOL! I love her little drawings...so funny :)

And the cake looked Yumm-eeee! Glad to hear your business is doing awesome! And glad to hear from you too! ;)

Sincerely Anna said...

Love her drawings and handwriting! Happy Birthday to your husband! Glad your design business is busy - you are one talented mama.

Cathy said...

The drawings are so cute and bring back memories of when my kids were little!

Jamie said...

Love the drawings! The teeth totally crack me up!

Amanda said...

LOVE your pics from your little picasso! we have lots of those kind of pictures floating around our house as well...too fun! i love seeing you around blog land...even if briefly...as i have missed you! hopefully soon we will have our new little one...at which point i will most definitely need to take advantage of your blog-designing business! by the way...my libs LOVED the pic of savannah "flying through the air!". can't wait till our girls can meet one of these days!

Rachel said...

I love the picture of Ricardo throwing Savanah! So cute!

We have had pictures simmilar in our house. My favorite phase was the one where we had necks longer than our legs! :)

ttm said...

Wow, she is really talented!

Gretchen said...

Happy b'day to your older main squeeze. Big is 42, too. Lurve the drawings! We have a couple of my dtr's framed from when she was that age. My son's too. I save too much stuff, but I love looking at the picture she drew of "our family". It's adorable. And that age never comes back. What a dolly you have.

Lisa said...

I was hoping you'd been away because you were busy blog designing. That's great!

Savannah's doing great with her drawing AND her writing. Makes it easy when she has an interest in it, too. Someone gave us a Leap Frog video called Letter Factory and its GREAT for teaching phonics. I would highly recommend it to use in addition to workbooks and such.

I didn't know frosting could be frozen. I often throw away quite a bit, so maybe I'll try that next time.

I feel like I say this all the time, but Savannah is just so stinkin cute.

Wendi@EveryDayMiracles said...

Man is she growing up. I'm sure I don't have to point that out to YOU!! :)

I wholeheartedly agree that being married to an older man is such a great thing! Happy birthday to yours! :) I do love to see all the cakes you make, even if they are simply - they look very professional.

Good luck with finding balance in your life. :) (you know - if we believed in luck...) I am leading a Bible study with my mom2mom group this fall and it is called "Living a Life of Balance"... good stuff. Will you join us? Thursday mornings from 9:15-11:30... :)

Tracy's Porch said...

I love children's drawings. They are so much fun. Ashley came up as I was reading and asked, "Is that humpty dumpty?"

Unknown said...

Happy late birthday to R!

I love those early drawings from preschoolers...they can't draw bodies but they won't miss the eyelashes! Love that!

FilledToTheBrim - Kate said...

I also love the teeth, hahaha. Such cute little pictures!

Colored With Memories said...

quite the artist! those are great...be sure to save them!

the cake looks awesome...i'm sure it wasn't freezer burned...not like our wedding topper was...oh my! not edible!

so glad to hear that you've been away with a booming business...that makes me so happy...miss you though!

Penny said...

Happy birthday, Ricardo!! That cake looked pretty yummy to me. I'd eat it, lol!

Savannah is so precious and sweet! What an adorable kid!

Unknown said...

Ha! I loved the green picture with the long teeth! Made me laugh out loud! Been missing you friend, but totally understand! I haven't been around much lately, either. My time has been consumed with the garden, I've been doing a lot of canning and freezing. I'm going to put your name on a couple of those jars! Maybe it will magically bring you this way!!!

Love ya!

Lizz @ Yes, and So is My Heart said...

Always good to read a post from you!

Love those pictures. My daughter also went through a phase of adding crazy teeth!

Genny said...

Love the mile long eyelashes and sweet birthday note...so precious, Jackie.

Good for you for focusing on your design business. You are extrememly talented and I have no doubt you will be highly successful with that.

Mirinda said...

I've now got to find pics of my kid's drawings at that age. Why? Cause they look just like hers. EXACTLY THE SAME. Wild!

I have experienced your design talent firsthand and am so glad to hear others are as well :) Hope it continues to go strong, you are great!!

Chel's Leaving a Legacy said...

I've been a slacking blogger too, so we're together on this one.

I would have never, ever, in a zillion years mixed pink and green and added a little blue...to make another color of icing like that! You smart thing, you! That's being resourceful!

Happy Belated Birthday, Mr. Jackie! (lol)

H-Mama said...

those pictures are priceless. love it.

. said...

When I was reading your blogs I come across these adorable pictures. My little one used to draw just like this. Brings back so many memories.