VanderPloeg

I’m a fan of Humberto Ramos and his very unique art style.  It’s not for everyone but if you’re a fan then you probably pick up all his work.  Which I thought I had until I read somewhere on the internet about Revelations, a six issue mini series from Dark Horse that had been collected into a trade paperback.

Hi All!

I thought I would write a post about the things Henry and I love now that he is a year old. It's definitely different now with less gear neeeded. Which is fantastic!

1) Playtex Lil' Gripper Straw Cup
I weaned Henry starting at 11 months and nursed him for the last time the day after his birthday. We have tried a TON of sippy cups, but he is just too lazy to hold them up enough so that he isn't just sucking air. Yes, I could assist him and I often do, but I feel like I'm feeding a baby goat at the petting zoo. Then I found this sippy cup. No tilting required! It says for age 2+ on the package but Henry loves it. He sits and drinks out of it all by himself. It does leak a tiny bit, just whatever is left in the upper straw when he puts throws  it down runs out. But it's manageable.

2) Tonka Tough Quarry Dump Truck
Henry is all boy. He loves everything with wheels but this truck is by far his favourite. He will wheel it all around the house for hours. If it tips over he will sit and spin the wheels. He lifts the back part up and will put things in and watch them roll out. He LOVES it.

3) Puppy in Circles
Henry's grandparents gave him this book when he was really little and he always liked to have it read to him. But now he laughs hysterically the entire time. The little puppy in the middle is a finger puppet and he tries to grab it, and eat it and then laughs over and over again.

4) Ergo Options Carrier

I have wanted an ergo carrier since I was pregnant but they are so freaking expensive! Well, when I saw in on Babysteals one day for 50% off, I immediately bought it. It is called the options carrier because it has fabric panels that you can change up on the front. It is so comfy and easy to put on. You can wear it on your front, back or hip. I have done front and back but prefer the front. Henry likes to pull on my hair when he's on the back.

5) Graco Trekko Stroller

Winter 2011 in Lake Louise

We originally just bought a car seat frame when Henry was a baby because we were given a double stroller for free and I had hoped that Henry would be in his bucket car seat for most of his first year. I thought we might just need am umbrella stroller for a few months before we had another baby and could use the double. Well Henry out grew is bucket seat in a few months, and we needed a new stroller in the winter and an umbrella stroller wasn't going to cut it in the deep snow. So we bought the Graco Trekko Stroller. It is SO GOOD. It's light weight, easy to put up  and down, and so good in heavy snow, rain, and good weather. It has a nice big sun shade, a big basket underneath and comes with a wind/rain cover. The only downside is that it's wide and not great for indoor shopping for that reason. It also didn't come with a drink holder but we bought an attachment.

6) Carter's One Pieces

Summer 2011 Spring 2012

 I love one pieces, especially the ones from Carter's. They are cute, well made and reasonably priced. They don't have any crazy pictures on them or stupid saying like "number one stud". It's so easy to get Henry dressed, to do diaper changes and frankly they look pretty comfy.

7) Carter's Bodysuits
I love these bodysuits. I put one on Henry every single day as an undershirt unless it's too hot (which is only a few days a year in Calgary). I have them in every single size from newborn to 18 months so far. Love love love them.


Things I think Henry would love: a Water Table. Does anyone want to sell me their old one? It might get him out of the dog's water dish....

   Photo by Chloe

Motherhood isn’t easy. Not if you’re doing it right!

Motherhood isn’t about happiness, though it is a byproduct sometimes.

But motherhood is a beautiful calling, a blessed privilege, an amazing opportunity, an incredible responsibility and the rewards of it are like no other! How wonderful to have a special day to celebrate this gift.

And for those today who, for whatever reason, are not yet mothers, today is a day to celebrate the desire God gave you for motherhood, and His faithfulness.

Photo by John

Thank you , Lord, for these amazing little ones you’ve entrusted to my care. Give me wisdom to guide, teach, and correct them. Teach me self-discipline. Show me how to train each of them, so they are ready for Your use.

Shine through me and give me the ability to love them as you do! Amen.

 Photo by Chloe

I’ve been blessed with Isaiah, Chloe (5), John (3) and Isaac (11 months).

So how many children do you have?

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Jenn is wife to one, mother of three and above all, a humble servant seeking to honor the Lord with her life. Happy Mother’s Day is a post from Beautiful Calling.

Share and Enjoy:

Hi All,

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day Weekend! We sure did. I am one lucky lady to have a great mom, step mom and mother in law. Then on top of all that I have a sweet sweet son who made me a mom myself. Can't get any luckier than that!

On Friday night John and I decided to have a home date after Henry went to bed. It was going to include watching The Vow (yes, I did FINALLY convince John to watch it with me), eating ice cream sandwiches and cuddling. I guess Henry could tell we were excited because he would not stay asleep in his crib. He needed to be cuddling with the rest of us. So we watched the movie while taking turns cuddling Henry. Not the way we planned it but still wonderful!

Saturday we went to Costco for when it opened at 9:30am to get the good roses before everyone else did! You see our youth group at church (for which we are leaders) "make" roses for the mother's and give them out on Mother's Day. How do we make roses? We simply cut the ends off and put water picks on. We use to make corsages but they were so labour intensive (to make 96) and then they died soon after we gave them to the moms! So last year we just gave roses and the moms loved it.

Vanessa, baby Julia and me eating after our hard work

Some of the roses!

Henry's first Popsicle!

It was a huge hit!

Picnic Lunch!

Watching his dad

Playing with Jessica

Using the Popsicle stick as a soother! That's when I knew it was nap time.

Front Garden

The finished part of the garden! I love it

And the unfinished part!

 It was a wonderful weekend and I am so grateful to have such a hard working husband who not only spent his whole Sunday gardening (while we watched), but also works hard every single day so I can stay home with Henry. I couldn't be the mom I am without him!

Making my way through my local comic shop’s discount shelf I came across The Authority: Relentless, the first volume of the award winning series.  I hadn’t read this since the individual issues came out and it deserved a second look.

After witnessing the demise of most of her StormWatch teammates, Jenny Sparks wants to create a new super hero team dedicated to protecting Earth against threats of a global scale. Joined by former StormWatch members Jack Hawksmoor and Shen Li-Min, Jenny recruits four new members, the Doctor, the Engineer, Apollo, and the Midnighter forming the ultra-powerful Authority. Collected in this edition are their first two missions, battling a nation of super-powered terrorists and stopping an invasion from a parallel world.

• Written by Warren Ellis
• Art by Bryan Hitch and Paul Neary
• 192 pages
• Color
• Softcover
• $17.95 US
• DC / Wildstorm
• ISBN 1563896613
• Order online: Amazon, AbeBooks
  

This is 192 pages of action, non-stop.  We’re treated to two full storylines while introducing us to a superhero group unlike others, at least for 1999 when this volume was first published.

    

This is a globally spanning team with outrageously powerful members working inter-dimensionally.  I hate to draw parallels but it’s Wildstorm’s Fantastic Four but with a lot more ass kicking.  First assignment is to battle a nation of super-powered beings; along the way we learn about each team member in a slick and easily digestible manner.  No wasted talking head pages of flashbacks get in the way of superb storytelling, solid dialogue and an overall riveting tale.

    

We’re not complicated by gray areas and emotions: the bad guys are distinctly evil and The Authority does what’s needed to bring them down.  Read the two pages above and you know that Gamorra needs to be crushed: a nation “built on terrorism” and “a wolf in a world of sheep”.

Let you felt that wasn’t large enough is scope the second storyline deals with a planetary attack from another dimension by an alien British Empire.  More great characters and engrossing story.

    

Another layer is added to the cast as their backgrounds are revealed amongst their latest threat.  Massive battles and individual fist fights: The Authority is all about action and delivers it page after page.  It’s a standout book that every fan of team comics should read.

Originally published at Comic Book Daily.

While we were in Ontario in April, John's parents threw Henry an early Birthday Party. It was the first time Henry ever ate a cupcake. I wouldn't allow icing because it has way too much sugar, so John's mom made Whipped Cream! It was definitely a hit!

John's cousin's wife is a Birthday Party photographer so she kindly took photos at the party so I could video tape! (If you live in the Cambridge/Kitchener Area you should totally hire her! Close Your Eyes Photography. She does other photography too, check out her blog!).

Anyways, I couldn't leave the topic of Henry's birthday without showing you his very first cupcake eating experience at his very first Birthday Party!

He sees the cupcake

We forgot to remove the plate, but realized before he could dump it.

He was so slow to grab it...like he was waiting for us to take it away.

And then he goes for the bottom without any whipped cream

He likes it!

He always has his feet crossed!

He touched his ear!

Sure looks like he enjoys it!

Then we remembered the hat!

Cheese!

I know he's my baby, but LOOK HOW FREAKING CUTE HE IS! It was a fun party for sure!

Another lost (to me) treasure discovered on the used shelf of my local comic shop, Catwoman: Relentless.  Always a fan of Brubaker at the time I didn’t care for Stewart or Pulido’s clean lines and simplified styles; now I can’t get enough.

Triumph and tragedy are the name of the game in this 192-page trade paperback reprinting CATWOMAN #12-19, plus the 6-page Black Mask story from CATWOMAN Secret Files #1! Catwoman has crossed the Black Mask — now he’s making her pay!

• Written by Ed Brubaker
• Art by Cameron Stewart & Javier Pulido
• Cover by J.G. Jones
• 192 pages
• Color
• Softcover
• $19.95 US
• ISBN 1401202187
• Order online: Amazon, AbeBooks

I can’t believe how solid this book is.  This is a team book with a solo title, as Catwoman shares the stage with her on and off again boyfriend Slam Bradley, the toughest private eye I know.  Plus Selina Kyle out of her costume looks after Holly in an older sister type role.  Fighting crime, hard-boiled action and tough relationships provide a solid and slightly dark world.  Kyle tries to get out into the sun and build something good but gets thrown back into the shadows.  It’s classic Brubaker, or possibly just Brubaker getting into gear since these stories were first published in 2003.

    

It’s light, funny, dark, moody, brooding, violent and touching all within a few pages.  Stewart gives wonderful expression to the characters and solid storytelling through the varied panel sizes.  Gotta love the old costume flashback.

    

And then Pulido gives something even more stripped down.  It’s an abrupt change but it looks great.  Real life moments of love and uncertainty, plus Catwoman kicking ass.  Not sure why he thought Slam should look like Robert Mitchum but it works, and I can see this as a film noire.  Maybe Ava Gardner as Selina; she’d do the costume justice.

    

Yes this book was published in 2005 and seems to be out of print but there are lots of copies on Amazon for cheap.

Originally published at Comic Book Daily.

This was Henry's birthday party invitation:


As I mentioned before, I got a late start the morning of the party because we were having a family cuddle in bed and I just didn't want to leave. Which means that I ran out of time decorating. As in....I put up 1 Happy Birthday sign. All those balloons that were blown up? Didn't get used. All those pictures I printed? Didn't get used. All those streamers I bought? Didn't get used.

And guess what? Henry didn't notice! He still had an awesome first birthday party.

We served home made hamburgers, pasta salad and normal salad. The home made hamburgers were a HUGE hit. Did I ever mention that husband of mine can cook?

After we all ate, we opened presents which was kinda hilarious. Henry totally forgot how to open them. He was so good at it at Christmas time but this time he didn't know what to do/ he was too distracted. So John helped and Henry kept trying to play with all the toys that were already opened instead of focusing on the next present. He got a ton of presents and we are so thankful to have so many wonderful people here in Calgary who love Henry.

Sharing with his friends!!

After that we had cupcakes. We forgot to sing to Henry and we forgot to put his number 1 candle in. First Birthday Fail. We sang after he was done eating his cupcake just to have done it.





In the end, the party that I planned in my head did not happen. But the party that happened, was still amazing!

Friday:
Friday was the day before Henry's birthday so we spent it running errands. We went to Costco, Safeway and the dollar store. That night after Henry went to bed, John and I started prepping for the party. John made the hamburger patties and I was cleaning. Sadly poor Henry was too excited to sleep so I didn't get as much cleaning done as I wanted.

Saturday:
Henry's Birthday! Even though I had a billion things to do before the party started at noon, I decided to spend the first part of our morning in bed with the family. Even the dog and cat were there. It definitely screwed me over in terms of what got done for the party, but I wouldn't change it. Morning family cuddles are the highlight of my life! I'll post about the party later this week so I won't talk about it now.

Sunday:
Sunday morning this happened
How hilarious is that? A boy and his dog. After this we went to church and then went over to Matt & Vanessa's house to hang out with baby Julia who is an entire month old now. Vanessa wants to be the first to post a photo on her blog so I can't post one here. But you could stock her blog until that happens if you want!

I hope you all had a nice relaxing weekend!!

Today is Henry's Birthday!!

We still have a ton of stuff to do before his party this afternoon, but we spent the morning cuddled in bed as a family talking about what we were doing at this time last year.

A 12 month post and a party post will be up next week. I just couldn't let the day go by without posting something!!

Happy Birthday my sweet Henry! This past year has been the best year of our lives!