I've been informed that there is actually a racoon sleeping in the trash today. Wouldn't that give the trash men a shock.

I'VE MOVED!

I've moved my blog from blogger to http://www.semelesriches.com.  I've also updated as many syndication channels as I possibly can, but if you've been subscribing in an RSS reader you'll need to visit the new site and update it manually.

THANK YOU so much for reading my blog.  I look forward to seeing you at my new online "home" and I hope you'll love it as much as I do!

My evening waddle

Current Weather conditions:

 

Distance traveled: 0.95 miles

Current Total Distance Traveled: 3.11 miles

I owe the babies: $1.56

2011 MFB Walk #1- Mommy's Taking Us to the Zoo!

Clambering kiddos: That's how we roll.

 In addition to all time favorites like the pandas and prairie dogs, the bird exhibit was a HUGE hit this time. 

The Red Pandas

Not only were these guys feeling very active and therefore fun to watch, the adults had a good time making bets on how long we thought it would take Ian and Sophie to escape the enclosure if left to their own devices inside.  The consensus is 5 minutes.

Toucan

I'm not sure why the Toucan had a cat carrier in his cage, but it was really bothering Ian that the carrier was there and the bird was not inside it. He spent a long time at this exhibit, urging the bird to go in the carrier and shut the door.  (Apparently, he has a high opinion of the bird's mechanical ability, and a somewhat lower one of its overall intelligence.)


Current Weather conditions:  Sunny and low 50s- perfect zoo weather!

Distance traveled: 2.16 miles

Current Total Distance Traveled: 2.16 miles

I owe the babies: $1.08!

We're walking to Luray...

This year, the destination of my virtual trek for babies is... Shenandoah National Park.  Located 85 miles from my home, I'll be detailing my virtual "stops" and donating 50 cents for every mile of the distance I walk, and a dollar for every mile I don't get done before my deadline, which is not March Day, but... BABY DAY.  That's right, Baby 2.0 will arrive just before the March for Babies this year, so he, his big brother, and I will be completing our virtual journey BEFORE the "big day" for babies, which is May 15.

I hope you'll join us, and I also hope you'll find it in your heart to sponsor us on this virtual walk.  How about 10 cents a mile? 25? Every little bit goes a long way toward making a day when every baby is born healthy!  We look forward to having you with us along the way.  Just click on the March for Babies badge to make your donation and help us SAVE BABIES!


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Pay it Forward... with a twist.

The artist at work

I'm sure by now if you travel in crafty circles, you've seen one of your Facebook friends or a blogger you enjoy pledge to send something handmade to the first five people to comment on their post and to make the same offer on their own facebook page or blog.  If you haven't, well, YOU HAVE NOW.

Welcome to my Pay It Forward... for Babies post.  I'm sure you remember (and if you don't, there are plenty of links in the sidebar where you can check it out) that last year I pledged to donate money for every mile I walked to save babies.  This year, of course, healthy babies are more on my mind than ever.  One is banging away on my bladder faster than I bang away on the keys, after all, so it would be hard to forget it.

This year, my due date and the March for Babies date come awfully close to being the same darn date- so I can promise you I'll be at "The March" only in spirit.  Ian and I will definitely make our own trek for babies again, just like last year, but January's weather has not been kind to us.  More on that later.

So, right now, I'll be paying it forward this way.  You make a pledge on my March for Babies page, and Ian and I will make something for you.  (Some of his friends may help, too!  And he has a lot of friends.)  Then, you post a photo of that item on your facebook page or blog, or send it in an email, or host a reveal party (kidding) and let folks know that the first person to make a donation on my March for Babies page and say you sent them will ALSO get something made by me and Ian.  We'll surprise you, depending on where you live, and how much time you give us before this baby shows up, with something we sincerely hope you'll LOVE.

(See, the original "Pay it Forward" had YOU making things for the next person to respond.  Notice how Ian and I do the work... all you do is enjoy your Thank You gift and share the news with friends, while spreading the word that we are trying to help the March of Dimes save some babies.  That seems like a good deal to me.)

If you've got a blog, hustle on over to join our team, whether you'll be walking on March Day or not, regardless of where you live- you can change your personal walk location once you join- and make a post just like this one.  Then link to your post from this page by clicking the link and following the instructions below.  You can post the Linky List of other Pay It Forward posts in your post, too, so you can join the party.  Just use the "get the code" link.

Help us make the world a more beautiful place... for you, for babies, for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and, lest we forget, Big Brothers everywhere. 

Pay It Forward For Babies

LOVE, HUGS, KISSES 4EVR

I am blessed with a serious surfeit of alphabet blocks. As in, once I culled an entire set for my kid, I still had an small shipping carton full.  Yeah, thrift stores have been good to us.  And I have a lot of thrifty friends who know I Like That Sort of Thing, so they pass them along.  Although I'll never approach the heights of elaborate holiday preparation I'm seeing on some of the blogs I read, I still thought I'd get a little creative and have some fun.

Here are some of the letters in their natural state:

Since I want red for my end result, I spray-primed all the ones that weren't red to start with:

Next, I gave everything a coat of red metalllic paint.  The ones I'd primed, I gave two coats:

Have you figured out where I'm going yet? No? 

Does that help?

I did a very slap-dash job on these, but that's okay, because if you have looked at a lot of alphabet blocks (heh) you notice that they have varying quality paint jobs and that, over time, some of them get worn and dinged.  So even a lacksadaisical job looks pretty authentic, when you're done.  I considered gluing the blocks together so that little hands can't disarrange and lose them, but then I thought... seeing what else we can spell will be part of the fun in coming years and... you know I'll need to add another initial next year. Have fun!

Just for fun, I'm trying something new that I've seen elsewhere.  You can add a link to your own Valentine's Day blog posts by clicking the link below.  Try it out!  (Please link to a specific post, not your whole blog, or the list won't make any sense!)