Happy 2013!!

Beautiful Mess by LD. Mixed media. 2012.

It wasn't until naptime that I realized LD's "beautiful mess" was so much more than crayons. It's an art installation. A three-part commentary on the existential plight of man.

The piece in its entirety:

Part One: Pain. Foam roller, free app card for a web clipper, Belle, black play-doh, cat toy, yellow cardstock, crayons, a black race car.

Part Two: The Mystery. Gordon and his tender, a single tricolor candy cane of pipe cleaners, crayons, yellow cardstock. (I'm not sure, but I think this part is unfinished.)

Part the Third: Chaos. Gavin's sock, a pad of mini-sticky notes, a police car, red and green card stock, one green clog, knitting stitch markers (mini hair elastics), a plastic Thomas ring, crayons, many pipe cleaner candy canes in a seemingly random (or is it?) pattern.

Liamism

After dumping his crayons all over the floor:

"Mama! I made a beautiful mess!"

"These Are a Few of (Liam's) Favorite Things"

Alternate Title: "Is My Child a Hoarder?"

I was sent on a mission to find the toys that Liam NEEEEEEEDS before naptime and found this tableau, carefully staged on an overturned brown storage crate.

I spy with my little eye ...
... A bunch of engines (of course): 2 Thomases (Thomasi?), Gordon, Belle, Percy bath toy, a boxcar, and a coal tender of unknown provenance.
... A lobster purchased at the Providence airport known around here (and everywhere else since it goes everywhere Liam goes) as "Tigey."
... A tennis ball
... A snowglobe
... A fun-size Kit-Kat (left from Halloween)
... A yellow foam die that I use with my library classes
... A teething toy
... A tiny garbage can that goes with his green garbage truck
... A scoop for laundry soap
... An elastic band for my physical therapy

And Now This ...

I blinked, and suddenly this was going on. Gav is sitting up and munching on Cheerios.

SEVEN!!

No. No. We haven't forgotten you. We've just been crazy busy and are rarely in front of the computer at home. (Even now, I'm posting this from my phone.)

Here's our delightful boy at seven months.