Inadequate Materials

I have a million little crafts to share, but this one required no glue. Yesterday, Firstborn turned 9. NINE! Where does the time go?! Most nine year-old boys request cakes with Johnny Test , or Scooby Doo , or one of those seizure-inducing action-adventure anime things from Japan . Here's what I made at Firstborn's request: I ask you, what nine year-old asks for a Metallica -themed birthday cake? Apparently, it's this one: Happy Birthday, metalhead.

I learn absolutely everything the hard way. About three weeks ago, Firstborn took his shaggy unkempt mop of a hairdo to a friend's house for a sleepover. At some point during the evening, the boys decided that he needed to lose a little length, but just in the bang area. This is what he came home looking like: Remember those weird kids from Village of the Damned ? So out came my trusty hair clippers and off came the rest of Firstborn's hair. Afterwards, he looked like a different kid: So far so good. And this was where I decided to push my luck a little farther and also give RB his own buzz cut. I should've quit while I was ahead. I guess I should mention that the hair clippers I use to cut my kids' hair are the same clippers I used to use to cut the Captain's hair back when we were starving students who couldn't afford an $8 haircut at BoRics . In short, they are very, VERY old. They are so old that they came with a VHS instructional vi...

I've spent a blissful hour this morning catching up and visiting with old blog friends. I've been gone a long time, I know. But so have some of you, so I know I'm not the only one who had a crazy summer! Here's the latest from me: My baby has gone off to kindergarten! Boo hoo! Unlike Firstborn, who mugs for the camera every chance he gets, RB doesn't look too thrilled in this shot (I'm finding it harder and harder to get him to look at the camera and smile at the same time), but rest assured when the bus showed up he was grinning from ear to ear. I made the mistake of following the bus to school (yeah, I know...) and walking him to his class on the first day, despite the fact that I knew his home tutor/classroom aide would be dutifully waiting there for him. When he realized I wasn't staying for the morning he started crying and carrying on. He put on a pretty great show because by the time I got back to the truck to book it out of there, I was bawli...