Friday, January 15, 2010

happy hour





there was a time, not too too long ago...





mexico 1992

where all my babies were like ducks in a row....



when "happy hour" meant playing and dancing and silly fun....



and then, my youngest son turned 21.

21


the legal age to drink in the U.S.
(not that the other older three don't drink, but this boy likes to party.)

oh dear.

at this very moment he and several friends are on their way
to las vegas, flying and
driving in for a weekend of celebration. a different sort of happy hour.

oh my.

my two older sons are going along, to keep an eye on him.
i am not going to worry.

not even.
i'm knitting instead.




a little hat i made for me, i won't give this one away, like i usually do...




it's covered in my granma rose's buttons.
this one i'm keeping.
(still not worrying. at all. okay, maybe a little.)
happy birthday jacob
love, forever,
(did i say be careful?)
mom





26 comments:

  1. lori i love your little ducks all in a row.
    it made me sigh out loud.

    oh 21... wow!

    your children are absolutely beautiful as you are.

    i love your hat... sooo cute!

    some people use worry beads to pass the time of worrying.... i love it that you use knitting needles :)

    keep on sharing.
    you contribute to making our world a brighter place.

    x Ribbon :)

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  2. oh the buttons, lori. the buttons...

    you have a way of writing and seeing and creating that goes straight to where love resides. to see your children, from childhood to vegas is an honor. that's how it feels: it's an honor and i thank you lori. you are all absolutely beautiful.

    i leave your blog now content and peaceful and hopeful. you do that, you know.

    ♥ & :)
    your forever pal and holding tight heart sister,
    kj

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  3. Nothing like a little creative outlet to take our minds off of grown children who can sometimes cause us to fret .... I love your photos and the hat is perfect on you. I am sitting here waiting for my son who arrives close to midnight!

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  4. Oh, and then Oh, again. Beautiful photos of the kids.....*Sigh* :)

    I Love your hat, but MAN, I love that top you are wearing.It is gorgeous. Also, what is on your pendant? I have a round 'Angel' one. :)
    Jacob will be under the older Ducklings wings, so he should be happy and safe, Mummy Duck.Never fear.

    Happy Birthday, Jacob! and love to you all.xx♥

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  5. ohhhhhhhhhhhh they remind me of mine right now, yours when they were little, and they are so big now, oh lori, my heart feels for you. Ive said it before and Ill say it again that when it comes time for me to go through this then you will be getting phone calls from me.
    You look gorgeous btw in that beautiful hat you made, and i love love love the buttons on it, perfect finishing touch <3
    xxmichelle

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  6. Happy Birthday Jacob.

    Here the age is 18 even scarier.

    Love you and love the hat and keep it because it looks beautiful on you.

    By the way in the freezing weather we have here, my feet are toasty warm because I have some wonderful slippers.

    xoxoxo

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  7. Lovely post Lori. I can feel that, I'm not anxious really, way over the pond!!! I'm sure the guys in balck will look out for him!
    Great hat looks so cosy and having your Grandma's buttons on it that is certainly something to keep.
    xx

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  8. Happy Birthday to Jacob!
    I am sure your older boys are taking care of him, lucky you and lucky Jacob!!

    Lovely picture of the sequence of your kids growing, that made me smile and sigh, oh, how time passes ...

    Buttons... these are special , aren´t they? You are absolutely right, keep this gorgeous hat with you because your grandma´s buttons are oh so fantastic on it!

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  9. Happy 21st!

    I am sure he will have an awesome time in Vegas!!

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  10. Oh, my! 21!! Your boys are soooo handsome! And you must be so very proud!!!

    I guess growing up in Germany, the whole drinking thing wasn't such a big deal since it's not so very forbidden. When I turned 18 (legal age in Germany), all it meant was that I could finally get my drivers license and vote. I still had a big party!! And then left to live in the US...;-)

    Happy Birthday, mom!! Lovely hat - such a great idea to adorn it with your gradma's buttons!!

    Love, Silke

    P.S. Did you paint the ducks in a row? Beautiful!!

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  11. Lori, I loved the "men in black" with their cool shades! Congrats to YOU (always the mother should be congratulated! She is the one who did the work!). I remember those nights when I lay in bed, waiting for my car (at the time I was requested to lend them mine)and my babies in them, returning home. "In the middle of the night" was the song that kept repeating in my head, how I hated it! And then at three...finally they tiptoed in. God, was I glad when they moved out! haha. But now mine are 33 and 36 and are really grown and a pleasure.
    Actually, 21 is not grown up. But how great to have big cool brothers!
    I ALSO love your hat and your pictures! And your blog, and you.

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  12. i'm back again to see more, sweet friend.

    your kids are beautiful.

    did you paint those ducks yourself?

    the happy hour theme is so clever. (universe! this girl is so clever!)

    what happens in vegas stays in vegas. but will any of those handsome guys tell you?

    xoxoxo
    kj

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  13. you are simply amazing and beautiful! those five gorgeous and children and look at YOU! and i LOVE your hat. must def keep it eh? xxx j

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  14. I love these pictures of your beautiful children who glow with such love as their mother does. :) Love the "men in black" picture...priceless. I absolutely love your hat...and you made it...wow...I would so love to find a hat like that here...would likely look better then the black hat I wear...:)Happy birthday to your boy! XX Lori

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  15. Lori - quite an impressive lineup of handome young men. You have great genes! I would worry too! He's going to be a magnet for fun and ladies. : )

    Best of all I love the progressive pics of the little ones .. your beautiful brood of five. You;ve made a substantial contribution to the planet ...

    And the hat! I love that you used your grandmother's buttons. I also love incorporating pieces that are sentimental to me to make something more meaningful. And you look simply gorgeous in it Lori!

    Actually, I think you are a Glam-ma!

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  16. Happy Birthday to him! That's so exciting for him; so worrisome for you. I love how you presented this. I've a feeling I'd be a bit worried myself...
    The hat is fabulous!

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  17. oh from ducklings to men...and what a sweet hat--the buttons and memories making all the more so!

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  18. dear ribbon,
    thank you my friend. knitting has been a saving grace many times, i'm forever grateful i learned as a child. my kids make me sigh too ♥.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    kj, ♥ x's infinity. thank you.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    dear helen,
    yes, he's grown, hopefully judgement and skills will have grown too. enjoy your son's visit!
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    thanks natsy, i hope those boys are keeping up with him, i'll be glad when this weekend is over!
    my necklace was a gift from chuck, it has the letter g. for his last name, when we married. thanks so much for the sweet words.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    michelle, i know you live each moment, and it's ever more true when it comes to our children. in the blink of an eye darling. they are grown. still shaking my head, how did this happen? love them listen to them be there for them, i know you do.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    renee, thank you. your words warm my heart, you know there's no reason for cold feet. ♥
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    thanks mandy, i just sent you a mail, our worrying is over!
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    thank you mina,
    you are so lucky to be blogging while your camilla is small, you'll have a wonderful journal to look back on! thank you dear.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    sammi, awesome is good, as long as he stays safe. fingers crossed here.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    thank you silke!
    yes, i am proud, they are wonderful boys, um, men i guess. i think you might be right about the drinking and the age limit, but boys are boys and oh i worry.
    i didn't paint the ducks, but i wish i did, it is only a scan with my new scanner!
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    thank you geli,
    i wrote you just now. you are right, he's not grown at all. that's why i'm worried. boys take so much longer to mature, at least mine have. but yes to the older ones helping! thank god for them!
    love you too geli~gaily.

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  19. kj, the truth is, i don't want to know. as long as it doesn't involve the police or hospital. call me an ostrich, but oh well! the ducks are a scan from my collection of childrens books, wish i could claim it!
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    janelli,
    well, if thats true than so are you.you, beautiful, talented, gorgeous children, lucky in love...
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    lori, oh dear, should i make you a colorful hat too? you deserve rainbows and stars twinkling over your head. bless your heart for all you do. and aren't we lucky times five?!
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    lyn, haha, i've not heard that before, where do they come up with these things? my girls would def not call me that. they say your wearing that?? to all my jeans and sweatpants! haha. thank you for the kind words, it's fun to look back.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    whitney lee,
    thank you for such sweet words, it helps with the worry! i'm glad you liked the hat.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    teri,
    they are, you are right, i am trying to see them that way. i still see ducklings...sigh... thank you!

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  20. I love your little ducks all in a row. How cute are they? I certainly know how you feel when they are off on a party-type adventure. My youngest is a festival follower. Loves Railroad Earth and follows them around when she can. She's off to Thailand in April for a month with friends. Thailand. So far away.

    Love the hat - and the buttons belonging to your grandmother makes it extra cute and special.

    Don't worry - his brothers will keep him in check. Happy Birthday to your sweet boy.

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  21. They grow up way too fast.
    One day I'll be chronicling that change for my own children.

    Fantastic photo of your boys, very handsome. :)

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  22. Wow what gorgeous MIBs! If that's what most men look like in California I should rather be looking to move there!

    I need a hat like that for my winter BBJ adventure --- it's so cute!!!
    Pls send pattern and I'll buy needles/wool and get knitting again

    xxx

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  23. ..nice hat, handsome young men but most of all a happy family.. Αm I right;

    xxx

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  24. thanks Nancy,
    you do know exactly what i mean. when my son went to bali this last year for a few months, his emails were so reasurring. i hope your daughter will keep in touch that way!
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Meagan,
    that makes me so happy to hear! i love that you have that to look forward to.... i can't wait to be a blogging auntie!
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Janet,
    haha! i may be partial, but i think all the men in my life are gorgeous. but wait a minute, i saw quite a few handsome faces in S.A. too! you will be a magnet for attention on your trip. i know it.
    i'll email you the pattern!
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Hello Maximus!
    yes, you are right. I hope you are doing well and the new year is good to you so far.

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  25. LOL you must be such an awesome mom...you sound like you have a very good sense of humor about the whole thing! (and knitting lets you keep your hands busy instead of making you worry!)

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  26. Lori, I know I've said this before, but I must say it again. I simply cannot believe you and Chuck are parents of FIVE children, and the youngest boy just turned what??? 21!!! Holy moly. What a beautiful family you all are. And a family that loves to hang out together and have fun and surf and enjoy nature. There's nothing more beautiful than that.

    Lovely hat. I love all the buttons and all the memories that they bring.

    xoxox

    PS! OH! Congratulations on your WIN! WOOOOHHOOOOOO HoOORAY! Your photos are incredible, and you deserve a thousand rewards!

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xoxo lori