Vacation Part 2: Overlooking the REAL danger in Mexico

Before we left for Mexico, there was some concern about the safety of traveling there with the recent violence and problems at the borders. However, the place where we crossed did not have a history of trouble so we went for it. We did not have any problems and on the plus side, everything was much less crowded.

After all, we had the protection of this safety pin?


My trouble came in the form of a stingray. On my birthday. We were all enjoying one last morning swim before driving back to Arizona. The water was clear and calm and perfect for a leisurely swim. Until I stepped on this little guy...


I felt a sharp stab or bite and bolted out of the water. When I finally dared to look down, I just saw blood gushing out of my foot and I never looked at it again until about 8 hours later. Everyone sprung into action running for the first aid kit and fresh water. My medical school brother was there and tended to the wound very calmly. The pain was crazy, like a bee sting times 100. I remember thinking that I would have rather been in labor. I started to go into shock, partly because we really didn't know what had attacked me. There was a 4-man carry to get me back to the house and then I was hauled off to the Red Cross.



The woman at the Red Cross immediately identified the wound as a stingray and luckily Ben was there to translate since she did not speak English. She cleaned the wound again and then gave me a whole bunch of shots of lidocaine in my foot to numb the pain. Nothing happened though and she said the pain would go away in 2-4 hours, which it finally did. I don't know if it was my body's reaction to being in shock, or the lidocaine, but I kept having a serious need to urinate. (Translation: peeing in a cup on the side of the road in nowhere Mexico on the way to the border.)



My family still managed to present me with a delicious cake that evening and it was fun to be able to spend my birthday with my entire family.

Vacation Part 1: Mexico!

We enjoyed the most fabulous trip to Mexico and Arizona and are still trying to adjust to real life again, and Eastern time. It was so nice to relax and hang out with family and enjoy the scenery. My poor dad ended up with pneumonia and spent most of the vacation bed-ridden. So sad. We stayed in a fabulous beach house in Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point) and pretty much had the entire beach to ourselves. During our first sunrise stroll on the beach, I didn't see another person. There was a full moon while we were there and the high and low tides were so extreme. It was amazing.


Low tide...great for sea shell collecting and wading in calm waters.


High tide...the water came right up to our steps.


The beautiful view from our patio.


The cousins playing in the sand.






Ben searching for sea creatures.




Playing in the waves.


Amelia loved screaming and running from the waves. She was attached to her cousin Naomi the whole time.






One of the few pictures I have of my dad, before he was quarantined.








Amelia and Naomi had the most scenic play spot in the house on this fun window seat. They spent a lot of time up there playing with Naomi's Polly Pockets.




Eating delicious kabobs.


Enjoying s'mores on the patio under the full moon.


Amelia organizes her shells.










Amelia at the market.


My poor dad. We went into town to get some tacos. He managed to get out of the car and made it this far. Everyone thought he was a homeless man.

The Magic of Screen Printing

My interest in graphic design started when I was in high school. My school actually offered graphic arts classes where we primarily did screen printing. It was the most fascinating process. This was more like a shop class with lots of huge equipment. There was only one computer with some very basic clip art and one scanner, which was like a new toy for everyone. I came out of that class with some fabulous band t-shirts, Charlie Brown pillowcases, and countless numbers of notepads. Ben recently bought me a screen printing kit and it has been fun to get back to my "roots" and experiment a little at home.

I designed a logo for a band I'm loving lately (Great Lake Swimmers) and we used the photo emulsion method to transfer the design to the screen. We were pretty happy with the results. I'm still completely amazed by the process.



I recently discovered another home method for screen printing which is not as easy, but cheaper. I LOVE using things for purposes other than what they were originally intended. I made my own screen using an embroidery hoop and sheer curtain material. This process involves painting the negative space of your image with glue. I was completely surprised that this actually worked. I printed a bunch of cards and then a little apron for Amelia.





These are the two different screens.

I still like to do the freezer paper stencils, although they are only good for one print and you are limited by your ability to cut with an x-acto knife.

My latest stenciled onesie...it was originally going to be just an umbrella, but it seemed rather lonely.

The Magic of Screen Printing

My interest in graphic design started when I was in high school. My school actually offered graphic arts classes where we primarily did screen printing. It was the most fascinating process. This was more like a shop class with lots of huge equipment. There was only one computer with some very basic clip art and one scanner, which was like a new toy for everyone. I came out of that class with some fabulous band t-shirts, Charlie Brown pillowcases, and countless numbers of notepads. Ben recently bought me a screen printing kit and it has been fun to get back to my "roots" and experiment a little at home.

I designed a logo for a band I'm loving lately (Great Lake Swimmers) and we used the photo emulsion method to transfer the design to the screen. We were pretty happy with the results. I'm still completely amazed by the process.



I recently discovered another home method for screen printing which is not as easy, but cheaper. I LOVE using things for purposes other than what they were originally intended. I made my own screen using an embroidery hoop and sheer curtain material. This process involves painting the negative space of your image with glue. I was completely surprised that this actually worked. I printed a bunch of cards and then a little apron for Amelia.





These are the two different screens.

I still like to do the freezer paper stencils, although they are only good for one print and you are limited by your ability to cut with an x-acto knife.

My latest stenciled onesie...it was originally going to be just an umbrella, but it seemed rather lonely.

The introduction of Fancy Nancy and why our lives will never be the same again...

Amelia discovered Fancy Nancy last week. I had picked up these books at the store several times and thought Amelia would probably love them, but I avoided pointing them out to her. I was concerned what would happen if more fancy ideas were put in her head. She already refuses to wear anything but skirts and dresses and tells me I should dress up more. She seems to be quite invested in the notion of "sugar and spice and everything nice."

But last week we checked out a Fancy Nancy book from the library. Shortly after reading the book several times, I heard Amelia yelling from the living room "Fancy Nancy's head keeps falling off! Help her!"

And there she was. Amelia's own Fancy Nancy creation, complete with party supplies.



She is already planning her Fancy Nancy birthday party (in June).

A novel idea.

Bedtime means story time. I remember when I was a kid and my mom or dad would read to us each night. We would all keep our bedroom doors open and lay in bed while my mom sat in the hall and read from a book. I remember hearing "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" and "The Hobbit" and "Little Women" and many more. I came across some of these classics, condensed and with a few illustrations, and thought I would try reading a chapter each night to Amelia. I wasn't sure if she would sit through it, but we started with "Black Beauty" and she loved it. It took us a few weeks to finish and it was a nice change from reading the same books over and over. I didn't remember how dark this book was. We have just started "Treasure Island" and it's not much better. Amelia pays close attention. "Why is that horse (or man) all blooded?"



We spend a lot of time at the library, especially in the winter. Reading books is one of my favorite things to do with my children. Hooray for books!

Everyone thinks their child is a genius...

...but I just found proof.

Dinner time.

"I love smooooovies!"