The birth of a tattoo...

Tim has wanted to tattoo his right lower leg for a few years now and found a local artist up to the task! After 8+ surgeries to repair the leg he broke/dislocated in 2001 people tend to stare at his leg so he figures it would be better for them to have something better to stare at. :o) The tattoo will be a work in progress as he may be having another surgery on the ankle area (once we meet with the ankle specialist we have been referred to) so he has started with the calf and inside of the leg and will wait until he is most likely done with surgeries before finishing the leg.

I'm always a bit concerned when I go into tattoo parlours because they are always adorned with what I like to refer to as "biker chic" tattoo work and most artists are covered in a variety of skulls, daggers, and other work that isn't exactly to my taste! Tim was going for a much different style...asian inspired integrating a dragon, a koi and lotus flowers...much softer than the art work on display!! I had previously visited this studio to have Mae's ears pierced and was very impressed with how clean everything looked (and smelled, good old antiseptic smell!) so I told Tim he had nothing to lose by talking with one of the artists. He met with Mike Stevens, a resident artist, and after exchanging emails with examples of artwork and bouncing ideas off of each other, Mike had come up with drawings to show Tim. I didn't view the work but Tim came home very excited with what had been shown to him and went ahead and booked his first appointment for today. Cue nervous reaction from Mommy!! I stopped by with my camera to document the process for Tim just as they were shaving Tim's leg in preparation....ooooh, la la....and I was really blown away by what Mike has come up with! What was impressive was that Mike was just as excited as Tim to get started on this tattoo and I can see why!

A leg as smooth as a baby's bottom!

Tim assumes the position..hmmmmm...
Mike places the stencil
Hmmmm...yup, that's about as good as you can get!
Doesn't Timmy look all excited?
Tim settles in for the long haul...
Mike hand draws parts that didn't transfer fully
Let the tattoo begin! Is that a slightly clenched fist Timmy?
Getting used to the sensation
Today will be all outlining
Mike has a lot of work ahead of him!

Four hours later I got a call from Tim that he was almost done so I popped over to get a few more pictures of today's work. It looks even better in person and will be amazing when it's finished.

Mike finishes shading outlines of petals of the lotus blossom to make them look 3D!
The detail is impressive
And TA-DA...today's efforts result in:
one cool looking koi!
Koi blending into a lotus flower
Tim models for photos!
To the right of this, the tattoo will continue with a dragon over his main scar.
Another look at that beautiful koi
The stunning lotus with petals that seems to reach off his leg
The left side of the tattoo, the next tattoo will blend into here

Wicked, bad, naughty, evil blogger!

I'm sorry I've been neglecting you little baby blog, naughty Mommy. I promise to start paying more attention to you.

See you soon. xo

A few "firsts" of late...

We've had a few "firsts" going on around here lately, thought I'd catch up on them!

Delsin started downhill skiing this month with school, today will be his third afternoon out! Shame it's bloody freezing today, about -15C with a little clip of a wind, just enough to freeze your cheeks! I'm sure the kids will be fine, bundle them up and let them go! On Saturday I came home from my daily run-around and Delsin ran excitedly to the door to greet me and tell my something important! While he was chatting to me I suddenly noticed something **gasp** he had lost his first TOOTH! YAY DELSIN! A few weeks ago, his little teeth on the bottom became all "wonky" and began to wiggle. I wondered when one would finally come out! I was so excited and grabbed my camera and Tim wondered what I was fussing about?! I told him that losing your first tooth was very exciting and he replied, "Oh, is that his first tooth to come out??" DOH!! MEN!

Look at that teeny, tiny tooth!

My last baby is growing up. Noooooooooo....

Maeghan is gearing up for her first dance "competition" season and is working hard to learn her dance routines. She received her results from her tap, jazz and ballet exams in November and December and was thrilled with her results: "commended" in tap and jazz and a "distinction" in her ballet! YAY MAE! Yesterday (Sunday) she had her first "hunter/jumper" horse show and did really well. She entered four classes and earned one first, one second and two thirds! Very exciting stuff! It was unbelievably cold and we shivered for most of the day! Little hand and toe warmers came in handy!

All dressed up and ready to go!

Doing a "schooling round".

Her coach put her in the lower division for her first time out so she could get used to the format without worrying about high jumps!

Showing off her loot!

Connor had his first experience with formal school exams this month with exams in Business and English. Today was his last exam and he is off until the new semester starts on Thursday. He thinks it's awesome to have days off school when you have no exams, haha! He is attending the Robotics Team sessions after school and seems enthusiastic about it...as enthusiastic as a teenager can appear to be. ;oD Next semester will be tougher with more demanding classes so he will have to step things up a bit.

Celebrating the end of term with a round of Guitar Hero!

He looks so much like a young man now...nooooooooooo!

Cameron graded in his karate in December to a "green belt" and we are very proud of him! He has attended some "weapons" classes as well and is learning to use a long staff called a "bow". He learns very quickly and seems to have a great physicality and coordination for karate. YAY CAM! I can hardly believe he is a teenager now and will graduating and heading to high school in September....ACK! Where does the time go??

I don't have any pics of him with his new belt, so this will have to do!!

Tim is still working hard and is back at it full time after taking some time off to convalesce from his leg surgery. He has joined a new "team" now and is enjoying the new challenges even if he is a bit stressed from all the work in his lap right now. At least he's earning that money....hehe. He has been given the all clear on his leg as far as the infection goes and we are awaiting a referral to another specialist in Toronto who does only feet and ankles. The hope is to give Tim some more mobility in his ankle to improve his quality of life. He is bound and determined to drop the weight that has crept on over the past few years and is working hard to exercise every day and watch his diet. He has lost 15lbs. so far, YAY TIM!

Raising a glass to the new year, 31/12/08.

As for me, I think I may have lost my mind somewhere along the way as I have decided to learn to run. No, really. :oD I joined a "learn to run" clinic at my local Running Room shop and I go for a run every Monday evening with the group and fit in two more runs on my own during the week. I am working towards a goal of a 5K run in Toronto on March 15. I have already registered so there is no backing out now!! This week we are up to "run 3, walk 1" minutes and will be up to "run 10, walk 1" by the end of the course. I'll probably be to about "run 7, walk 1" by race time. Yikes! But, so far so good, I'm not hurting and I feel good for it! All that fresh air...even if it has been in the minus temperature ranges...feels great and give me a lift so needed in the socked in winter months in Canada!

So there you are, up to date for now. I can't believe it's almost the end of January, I don't know where December went either, ACK! Here's hoping it warms up soon, spring can't be that far away!

Laura :o)

Deep breath Obama...

You're on!

Count it down with me people!!

Just had to post this, it's getting tantalizingly close now!!