• Family Matters,  the sticks

    Visiting Dad at the Truck Terminal and CC’s Birthday

    truck yard

    my dad shows me the dinner he cooked yesterday entirely in his truck

    As you probably know, my Dad is a trucker (who cooks himself a full meal IN HIS TRUCK—notice above photo). He used to work in the terminal as teacher but now he’s back on the road again. The other night he was in the Fontana terminal killing some time before he headed off to Calgary, Canada. We decided to meet him there and take him out to dinner. It was CC’s birthday after all so we were due for a family dinner anyway.

    cc fakes a wish

    Like any good working class family, we went to Olive Garden where I contracted dysentery and I will never eat there again. Actually, I’m sure it was just the 24-hour flu that is going around. But none-the-less, I will never eat there again.

    More truck terminal photos here.

  • Bad Mom,  Bug,  Family Matters,  Shop Talk,  Tis the Season

    regarding my lack of web presence

    envelope elf

    Greetings from the Shipping and Receiving Department! You might as well call my living room the north pole because there are toys being made (flash cards) and there are elves. My elves just happen to not be very helpful.

    "helping"

    Baby Bug thinks it’s great fun to empty my warehouse size box of envelopes, 250 at a time and the cats? They think all these new flat surfaces with paper on them are special beds just for them.

    Lily

    Yesterday I had to call in reinforcements. The Grandmas. It was a two Grandma day. The Grandmas are great. They might not be good at peeling stickers and ironing on decals but they are very good at playing with Baby Bug and making gravy.

    Have I ever told you about Toby’s undying love for gravy? In his book, it is one of my fatal flaws that I am not fascinated by the process of which one makes gravy. Ugh. I just can’t be bothered. I don’t know how to make it and who needs all those extra calories anyway? Apparently, Toby does because he’s always asking me to watch his mom and learn how to make it. I’ve tried but I’ve been a dismal failure so far.

    I’d much rather be peeling stickers and ironing on decals. How can I think about the art of mixing flour and oil to the right consistency when I have characters in my head just dying to get out and be illustrated? Sigh. I keep forgetting that he pays me to be the housewife and mom and he barely tolerates my little side business I have going on. But that doesn’t mean I can’t pan the gravy job off on his mom when she is here!

    One Grandma had to go home but my mom is still here. I think I might force her to stay all week so I can get caught up with work (tis the season!) I’ll have to take more pictures today. The ones I took are pretty pathetic. No wonder everyone always complains about being too busy to blog. I guess this is what that feels like.

    Shop news: Orders are being filled. Bags are here and first set of 50 cards are printed. Second set will arrive today! I’ll post when I send out the first batch.