Friday, May 2

DRAGONS LIVE FOREVER, NOT SO LITTLE BOYS...

I suppose you can tell by the post title I'm feeling a bit nostalgic today...I was creating a photo canvas and began digging through old photos of my boys...this is another project from Casa Bella:



The original project was covered with fabric...but I have a hard time covering a canvas...I'd just so much rather paint on it! I created the flowers and then stitched them directly onto the canvas. (The canvas was already prestretched and on a wooden frame...made the flowers on the ends a bit tricky, but I managed!) Anyway, these are my two boys...my ex-marine and now married with baby 32 year old, (blondie on the tire) and my soon-to-be-married 24 year old (cutie smelling the tulip). They were both 2 years old when these pictures were taken...they really looked SO MUCH ALIKE as kids even THEY can't tell their baby pictures apart!

Anyway, about the title, hubby dear and I went to a carnival last night to eat carnival food and take pictures. I got some great shots I'm using for a new ATC...however, this is the one that got me all misty-eyed:



What is it? you ask? It's a kiddie ride: Dragons Lair. Now, I don't know if it was the site of the dragon, or the little blonde haired boy who exited right before I snapped the shot, but the combo of the two was just a little much. I choked back the tears and went home. And then today, as I was looking at the photos it hit me. I mean, it ALL hit me. Everyone tells you "they're not little for long" but as young parents you have a hard time believing it. BELIEVE IT.

What's the deal with dragons and little boys? Well, of COURSE I used to sing to both of my boys, "Puff the Magic Dragon"...for those of you who may not know, it's a reeeeeeeally OLD song...but a sad one, too. The last two verses are killers:

A dragon lives forever but not so little boys
Painted wings and giant rings make way for other toys.
One grey night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more
And Puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar.

His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain,
Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane.
Without his life-long friend, Puff could not be brave,
So Puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave.

So, amidst the gut-wrenching sobfest, I created the photo canvas. When I was a young parent I thought all the worries/concern about the kids go away when they turn 18. Nope.

More soon,



Paula

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amazing layout Paula. Even as a non parent I relate as I look at how much the girlies have grown during this year schooling- in so many ways. From unable to recognize all the letters to writing their name and now merrily we plod along as they learn the individual sounds the letters make. Wow...how it does fly by.

On a side note, pray for me - she's asked about me schooling all of the children in the fall....

Dusty

Sherry said...

Paula, this is not sappy or anything like that at all..first of all, Puff the Magic Dragon was one of my favourite songs as a child...I didn't know what it was "really" about but I loved the song!! Little boys?!? Oh mine are 16 & 20 -- you're so right -- dragons live forever, little boys grow up. I loved this post!

cupcakesandcoffee schwartz said...

Awwwww...thanks for sharing your nostalgia. I love seeing pics of your kids, even if it is when they are 2. I love the canvas...so creative.