Health Has Returned From Its Vacation...

I was able to give Lil Chick her very last dose of antibiotics this morning and dump the rest down the kitchen sink.

(insert sigh of relief)

Guess what? Her eyes aren't red rimmed and glassy. Her little body is no longer a fever factory. If her appetite is any indication of health, she is H.E.A.L.T.H.Y.

Bubbalu is better as well! I know this because he is being his normal stubborn ornery self.

Last night he said to his dear sweet Auntie Joanie, "You shut your mouth Joanie!"

Of COURSE he was punished. But the little stinker would NOT apologize. More punishment. He still would not apologize. After about a ten minute long time out period he sauntered over to me, his Grandma, and Auntie Joanie and started quietly chanting, "you shut your mouth, you shut your mouth, you shut your mouth" and slowly increasing in decibels until I could hear him.

Yep, he is ALLLLLL better now!

A

p.s. The Customizable Jones Soda Giveaway still going on over at the Vintage Dutch Girl Giveaway Blog! Go and enter to win!

Our Sick House Rules...

One must not be required to change out of night-time attire. Zip-up footed jammies are acceptable, nay encouraged.

One must not be required to entertain oneself without the aid of a certain babysitter of the screened variety.

One must not be required to eat healthy, nutritiously rounded meals (as if that's the norm - *snort*!)

One is permitted to drink a smoothie (pronounced "smoovie" by the under 3 crowd) in place of a meal.

One carries an 'unlimited juice consumption for duration of sickness' card.

Our sick "smoovie" recipe of the day:

• One banana
• two scoops chocolate or vanilla ice cream
• 1/4-1/2 cup peanut butter
• chocolate syrup (to taste)
• 1/2 (ish) cup of milk

Blenderize. Serve to sick little one in old plastic restaurant cup with accordion straw that is guaranteed to leak. IMPORTANT!***One MUST taste test at LEAST 1/2 cup or more of "Smoovie" recipe to determine adequate taste mixage and acceptability***

I cannot stress the taste test enough. It is vital for the recipe's success.

A

Apples And A Chick...

Thanks to my parents and their overproducing trees I have a few apples to create yummy things with.


Mommy, can I eat this one? I think it likes me.

A few, meaning this bucket is about 10% of the total amount of apples currently in my garage. Lil Chick was busy helping me take care of the abundance. She's been kneeling like this for a few weeks now. Seeing her little toes peeking out of her leggings always makes me smile.


Uh Mommy, I see a fruit fly metropolis. It's starting to worry me.

I tell ya, I'd better get peeling, coring and a' cookin some applesauce.

My two new motto's:

1. Sand, Prime and Spray Paint
2. Peel & core, cook and freeze.
   

Or maybe,

1. Annoy Husband by Taking Up His Side of Garage With Projects
   
2. Start A Fruit Fly Infestation Worthy Of Notoriety

You choose. Either way, they're all true!

By the way, to make applesauce:

Peel, core and slice many many many apples.

Cook over med heat with about an 1/8th cup of water. Stir frequently. Soon (20 - 30 minutes) it all turns to yummy mush and smells divine.

That's IT!

OK OK OK, you can add cinnamon and sugar, but I prefer it plain. Freeze in Dutch Tupperware (large yogurt, sour cream and frozen whipped cream containers) to use throughout the year.

YUM.

Happy October, y'all...

A

Stuck At Home...

Lance and Bubbalu are gone for the day. Mama and Lil Chick are having a lovely Saturday at home.

By at home I mean I am stuck.

I would LOVE to be out and about crashing the garage sales in town scooping up some fabulous finds....but my darlin baby girl is sick. Methinks hauling a feverish, coughing, snotty-nosed pajama clad 9 month old around town might not be the greatest of ideas. Besides, I'd have to do my hair and get out of my jammies.

I may still make an emergency run to the hardware store as I am in the midst of a spray-painting frenzy.

I'm the fiend causing the frenzy.

My wedding ring has red speckles, my fingernails are quite possibly permanently stained light green and my garage looks like a hardware store EXPLODED in there...but this Mama?

She's happy...

A

Leaps And Bounds...

Lil Chick is growing by leaps and bounds. All within the last week.

I was so proud of my sweet baby for pulling herself up to a kneeling position. She pulled herself up on the piano:



On the side table:



and on the bistro chairs:



Pretty much anything that has a hand hold has been used for kneeling practice.

THEN, she did this:



Notice her smug, "check me OUT Mama!" expression?



While still proud of her Lil Chick, mother hen is starting to worry about this escalation of movement that is occuring.

Fast forward two days.

Ding dong! Can I come in?



Uh, why are there pudgy TOES in your living room?



I don't mean to pry, but WHAT is peering through your third story window?



Ahhhh, that's why:



When we say "she's playing in the dollhouse" we mean literally IN the dollhouse.

It's our version of 'King Kong', or 'Honey I Blew Up the Kid'. You pick:



However, we're not done yet.

Yes there IS another fun thing she learned.

Oh yes she did:



Uh oh.

A

Butter...blah blah blah...Muffins...

I left and returned to my house approximately 399 times yesterday(Wednesday).

Dropped of Bubbalu at MIL's house and brought Lil Chick to her nine month, 9:00 appointment at the doctor....on 9/09/09. Weird. She really did turn EXACTLY nine months old yesterday. Like I said, weird.

Turns out she is still super stinkin tiny, so much so that the Doctor advised adding butter, heavy cream or olive oil to her meals. Yum Yum, eat up darlin! She hits all of those developmental markers, she's just a pipsqueak. However, a fiery lil pipsqueak. She may be small, but she's mighty.

Lil Chick is a screechy, shrieking aficionado. I sometimes wonder if my neighbors think I lay around all day sticking her with pins. In reality, she screeches when she is holding a toy, looking at her brother, or just because she's bored. You know, maybe she just wants a big bowl of butter.

We had a lovely relaxing afternoon of x-rays, medication, schlepping to the doctor and tears from Bubbalu over concerns of a broken forearm...all turning out to be a dislocated elbow. It was a trying and emotionally exhausting day. I am praising God for Bubbalu's health and intact bones.

Favorite part of my day occurred in the x-ray waiting room. This waiting room was extremely cavernous and seemed to magnify (ha! NPI) every whispered word or sound. Two year olds don't seem to get the whisper concept. At least my two year old doesn't get it. He's busy commenting on everyone's shoes, the man in the wheelchair, the lights, the gumball machine, the blue chairs...you name it. Everyone was politely ignoring him.

Then there was....silence.

Until a certain 31.8lb two year old voice belted out, "DO YOU KNOW THE MUFFIN MAN, THE MUFFIN MAN, THE MUFFIN MAN! DO YOU KNOW THE MUFFIN MAN WHO LIVES ON DRURY LANE!"

We are just the par-tay of the x-ray waiting room. You need an x-ray? Call us, we're quite entertaining. Who knows, we may even bring muffins...

A

Mass Coverage And Focused Removal...

The other day I had to make an emergency last minute trip to Rite-Aid to buy more carpet cleaner.

I was NOT thrilled.

I ended up buying a deep stain remover as well as a heavy traffic entire room cleaner.

Uh huh. I was looking for mass coverage as well as focused removal.

Sounds delightful, no?

Followers of my blog will most definitely assume the culprit was the poo-on-the-floor 31.8 lb toddler, but no.

The offspring have joined forces against their mighty foe. Let's just say leaving a naked eight month old poo-factory alone for just a smidgen too long on the carpet to 'air out' isn't such a grand idea.

In my defense, I did have her on an absorbent pad and all...she just rolled off of it...cause she's smart like that.

Then she proceeded to roll around IN it and made quick work of spreading the 'wealth' to all corners of the nation. I'm pretty sure this was a joint collaboration between my two Poo Soldiers to see how frustrated they could make their Mama.

It worked rather well.

I'm gonna need a new battle plan...

A

Spunky Repurposed Ruffly Baby Top...and Tutorial!...

So, apparently I have some addictions.

1. I am addicted to naps...for my children. Mama is a better Mommy when the kids take naps.

2. I am addicted to sewing. I have experienced some major sewing binges over the course of my life. I am experiencing a sewing binge currently.

3. I am addicted to cutting up t shirts and repurposing them. Guess what? Jersey does not require finished seams. COULD. IT. GET. ANY. EASIER!?

Mash them all together and you get: Mama on a mad cutting up t shirt sewing during nap time spree.

First it was the maternity shirts. And don't even think I'm through with them! I have an entire pile in my bonus room awaiting their turn at my sewing machine.

Next up was the 'donation' pile of clothes. I may never donate another article of clothing in my life.

So, I'm just going to go ahead and warn my husband that his closet may soon be raided. Any t shirt that you haven't worn for a few months may be subject to my Fiskars, sewing machine and whim. Consider yourself warned.

During today's mad cutting up t shirt sewing during nap time spree I cut up an old shirt that someone had given me. It was old, didn't fit, and screaming to be sliced up. So I obliged.

Old blah shirt:



SLICE!



After an embarrassingly long time of hemming and hawing (tee hee, pun intended!), I cut out a simple front and back dress shape using the finished bottom shirt hem as the dress hem. I sliced long lengths to use as ruffles, one arm cuff to use as a headband, and some small pieces of the bottom hem to use as shoulder straps:



I sewed front to back and tacked on the straps. Next up I basted then scrunched up the ruffles:



Then started adding them wherever I felt like it. First up, the sleeves:



Don't be stingy with pinning, folks! They are necessary to achieve a nice seam with ruffles!



(p.s. it's MUCH easier to sew on ruffles BEFORE you finish sewing them to the back.)

(p.p.s. - yes, that IS coffee I was consuming in the afternoon. Don't judge me!)

Then I got so preoccupied sewing on ruffles that I forgot to take photos. So I made a quick little tutorial for you:


Here is the finished ruffly dress/shirt and headband:



Melikey RUFFLES. Melikey sewing ruffles.

Besides, Lil Chick was starting to feel left out of the yellow invasion and needed some spunky yellow wear:



See? She's already feeling decidedly spunky:



Off to chop up some more t shirts...

A

#1 Trashiest Campsite Status...

I am freshly back from a nine day camping trip.

Yep, NINE days.

CAMPING. (Well, mostly motorhoming.)

With two littles. One potty training, one nursing.

Whew!

Things we discovered:

- It is shocking how quickly a toddler can trash a campsite.

- Bubbalu LOVES to pee outside, further establishing our "#1 trashiest campsite in the campground" status.

- Lil Chick is a movin' and a shakin'. She is scooting and just starting to crawl around. Here we go! Bubbalu learned to crawl in Spokane, Lil Chick on this camping trip. That's it, I'm not going ANYWHERE else! Lil Chick will stand up and recite the Heidelberg Catechism Q & A Lords Day 1 if I ever leave on another trip again....not that reciting the Catechism is bad...it's just TOO. STINKIN. FAST.

- Sunscreen in an spray can is AWESOMENESS.

- Bubbalu loves to say "AWESOMENESS!".

- An air conditioned motorhome is FAR superior to NON air-conditioned sweltering house that hit 95 INSIDE while we were gone.

-Potty training is set on the back burner while camping. This may be due to a specific ginormo poo in the underwear incident that I'd just as soon like to forget about. Underwear was tossed into double layer plastic zip-top baggies, squished with some laundry soap (kinda like those friendship bread baggies. "Day #3 - Squish the bag" - yep, EXACTLY like that) and then promptly thrown out of the motorhome...where it sat until it was time to pack up and go home. Once again, reestablishing our "#1 trashiest campsite in the campground" status.

-Many many MANY baby wipes are used while camping. Face, hands, buns, tables, high chair, legs, chairs, neck...you get the picture.

-Showering the children outside using the handy-dandy outside shower attachment on in-law's trailer is a GREAT way to prevent the trailer/motorhome gray water tank from filling too quickly. However, once again...#1 trashiest campsite in the campground.

-Giving Bubbalu a haircut outside using your home clipper set and a squirt gun filled with used pool water to wet their hair down doesn't help your "#1 trashiest campsite in the campground" status.

-Showering yourself (in the motorhome INSIDE shower) while STANDING IN A HUGE PLASTIC TOTE BIN and then carrying it outside to dump your shower out also saves your gray water tank, but again, doesn't help your status.

-Neither does pulling a utility trailer complete with two different chipped beyond repair paint jobs (that don't match), zero hubcaps and a horrible case of rust that you store at the entrance to your site covered with a hole-ridden, well past it's prime, bright green tarp.

I'm starting to wonder if the campground owners threw their hands in the air and cheered while we drove away.

However, that was AFTER my husband spilled a couple of gallons worth of raw sewage onto himself and the dump station before we exited the premises.

Yeah, they were DEFINITELY celebrating...

A

Ruffly Buns...

I heart ruffles.

I heart ruffly buns even more:



Throw on a ruffly hat and you're in ruffle heaven:



Link up to an easy peasy Baby Ruffle Butt Onesie Tutorial and now you too can be in ruffle heaven right next to me...

A

Surfin USA...

Everybody goin' surfin', Surfin' USA!



We teach em young over here.

A

Crinkle Crinkle...

Yesterday was once again overcast and chilly. A perfect day for soup and hot chocolate...except that it is JULY. Hello!? Summer? Wheredya go? I wasn't finished with you yet!

Because I've been getting bit by those pesky sewing bugs, I gave my husband the 'I must create something or I will freak' look and bolted upstairs to the bonus (craft) room.

I've been trolling the crafting sites recently and feeling completely inspired. However, time and prior commitments (aka children) put a damper on my project list. Every time I'm ready to turn my sewing machine on someone needs a diaper change, to be fed, or I don't know...has POOPED ON THE FLOOR...again.

Which reinforces my my thinking that I need a week or two long staycation. The first few days to clean and get back to normal...whatever that may be...then the rest of the time sewing and crafting to my hearts delight. Sounds like a grand plan to me. As long as no one poops on the floor. Cause no one likes poo on the floor.

However, I did get a few hours to play and craft yesterday. Here's what I managed to create:



Aren't they great!? Aren't they awesome? Don'tcha just LURVE what I made?

What?

Oh.

You can't tell what they are?

No, it's not just a jumbled pile of flannel and ribbon!

Here's a better look:



and:



They are Crinkle Square Taggies for itty bitty babies thanks to the crafty genius of Joy's Hope. Find the tutorial HERE and get craftin your own Taggies . These are quick, only use a teensy bit of fabric and ribbon and turn out great. Joy suggests using old wipes packages for the crinkle material. I used them as well as a super crinkly shopping bag I had. I put up to three layers in a few of them, and while it made the sewing a bit more challenging, the crinkle-age is worth it!

Lil Chick has been super grabby lately. She loves diaper wipes packages, but I have an issue with her sucking on a bag of wipes that are used to wipe up poo. Just doesn't sit right in my brain. The Crinkle Square Taggies? MUCH BETTER:



And yes, I may have gotten a wee bit carried away and made a few more than necessary.

Like seven.

But who's counting?

A

Purple Polka Dots and Petal Ties...

Those persistent crafty bugs have been biting again. I think there might be an infestation.

This time it resulted in a purple polka dot and white eyelet edged itty bitty dress for Lil Chick.

Of course, my model was taking a morning nap, so you'll just have to imagine how cute she looks in it, mkay?





Love love LOVE the petal ties in the back. I might have to kiss them now and again cause they are super adorable. And most importantly, effectively eliminates the need for snaps, buttons or zippers. What could be better?

Next up, some matching bloomers or diaper cover with a ruffle butt. Then maybe a white crocheted hat with purple flower off to the side. Then maybe some matching itty bitty crocheted purple and white Mary Jane shoes.

See? I told you there was a craft bug infestation...

A

Excerpts from the Bubbalu and Lil Chick Instruction Book:

*Lil Chick Sleep Hints*

She will probably need a light burp after her bottle, but it is OK to put her to bed kinda awake. It is OK if she cries. She has a harder time falling asleep if you purposely try to rock her to sleep after a bottle. Lately she also seems to be waking herself up just to play and "visit" with us (little stinker is so cute it’s hard to ignore her) so check on her if you must, but don’t pick her up and let her woo you into playing!

*Bubbalu potty training hints*

-our RULE OF UNDERWEAR, “You can wear underwear if you don’t get it wet or dirty”. Ask him the rule, he knows it and should tell you!
-don’t listen to him if he tells you NO when you ask him to go potty. Just tell him, “Bubba, it’s time to go potty NOW”.
-DO NOT LEAVE THE TP WITHIN REACH!
-he always takes off both his shorts and underwear when going potty
-If he says, “NO, (pause pause pause)okayyyyy" that means yes.
-If you don’t have his padded toilet seat with you, you have to hold him on the potty or he’ll fall in!
-Give him a book or three to read while sitting on the pot. Or else he’ll start exploring and find things to play with (bleach spray, TP handles, etc.

Yeesh, this might be an interesting weekend...

A

Wordless Wednesday...

A

Baby Clothing System...

I went over to help my baby sister set up for her two babies who will be arriving this summer.

I forgot how much fun it is to go through tons of baby shower gift bags and set up a brand new nursery. It also reminded me how badly I need to reorganize Lil Chick's room.

Being that I have six different sizes smashed into her changing table/dresser, it's no wonder Lance gets confused when trying to dress her:

No, not those light pink 3-6 month pants, she's WAY too small for those. And not those light pink 6 month pants, they are way too short for her. No, not those light pink 0-3 month pants, they fit her funny on her legs. Here, put these newborn light pink pants on her, they are a perfect fit, can't you tell?

Honey, what's the problem? What, you don't understand my Baby Clothing System?

Let's start with the basic onesie.

Onesies:

The onesies on the front left side of the top drawer are reserved for occasional, they-don't-match-or-fit-great-but-are-there-for-emergencies onesies.

The onesies in the front middle of the top drawer are my favorite in not only style, but fit and color as well, but usually aren't there because they are either:

• in the laundry
• washed and folded and waiting to be put away on the floor of the living room, or
• in the diaper bag.

The onesies on the front right side of the top drawer are long sleeved or unisex onesies, best used for layering purposes.

The onesies and random tops in the back top drawer are matched sets that should NOT be desecrated by pairing them with non-matchy-matchy pants. If you do, then the pants are left lonely and sad, while the shirt marches on without them, getting stained and wash worn in an uneven ratio that completely upsets the system.

Unless you use that one pair of super cute minimally decaled jeans that are oh-so-cute and bootcut, THEN you may use the onesies and random tops in the back top drawer. But make sure you put on those Mary Jane shoe looking socks on to complete the look, or else it doesn't go.

See? Clear as mud.

I could go on, being that I have five dresser drawers, two shelves within the dresser, a five tiered shelf in the closet, two hanging rods, the shelf above the closet hanging rods and the entire floor of the closet worth of Baby Clothing System to share with you, but I won't.

Why?

I'm starting to get a wee bit confused...

A

Dinner Parties Are Not Meant For Children...

So we took the littles to a dinner party on Friday night.

It was a beautifully remodeled, Pottery Barn invoking, magazine photoshoot ready, stylish waterfront abode. I wanted to explore every inch of the place but didn't think our lovely hosts would appreciate me nosing around their laundry room or master bedroom closet.

I alternately spent my time panicking that my sunless tanner was emitting a scent only described by a metallic crossbred with my need-to-be-replaced running shoes and worrying that my toddler might walk up to the host, hold onto her chic capri pants and stare at her intently while filling his diaper with another, even more horrible, scent.

Less than five minutes after arrival Bubbalu threw both of his entertainment (matchbox cars) into the lake, once again solidifying my reasoning for purchasing his toys used. While that was quite entertaining for the rest of the guests I was less than thrilled. What am I going to occupy my inquisitive, stubborn, high energy toddler boy with now? Easy peasy: the neighbors' purple balloon which also ended up in the lake, rocks...which also ended up in the lake, and his sippy cup which ALMOST ended up in the lake. I just didn't want HIM to end up in the lake.

Bubbalu refused to eat his hot dog or anything resembling a normal diet and filled up on tortilla chips and watermelon. Ingenious combo, no? At least he drank milk. Sheesh.

Luckily there was a perfectly adorable chocolate brown lab for him to play with and a whole house full of understanding 'we have SO been there' folks.

Lil Chick blew out her pants while walking in the door which happily gained us private access to the master bathroom for changing duty. Stunning. Both the bathroom AND her diaper. She behaved very well but screamed halfway home to let her Mama know that she did, in fact, leave a bit too late. And by late I do mean 7:30.

Oy...

A

Paper Globes...

I found an awesome tutorial for paper globes over at the talented Heather Bailey. I decided that since I have a ton of scrapbook paper and zero hangydobbers for Lil Chick to stare at instead of sleeping, I deemed the project necessary.



I was extremely pleased with my results and enjoyed the project. I make three varying sized coordinating paper globes for Lil Chick's room and hung them at staggered heights with clear thread to act as a mobile:



Oh wait, who's that cutie in there!?

Hi sweetie...



(sigh)

OK, back to the paper globes. I got bit by the paper globe bug and proceeded to make another two sets of three for my sister who is expecting two babies soon. I coordinated the paper with the baby crib bedding colors she had already picked out and got to work. At 20 circles per globe, that is 120 circles folks! I liked how they turned out even better than Lil Chick's.

I hung them from lights in my house as decor during her baby shower:



So why don't you try your hand at paper globes?

My hints and tips for success:

• When coordinating papers and patterns, go outside the box a bit. Sticking with one hue leads to a boring paper globe . I prefer the globes that have an extra pop of intense color or a striking pattern. And no, they don’t look too wild or crazy. It just works. Trust me.
  
  
• Get thyself a paper shape cutter. If I had to cut out twenty circles by hand for each globe, this post wouldn’t exist and my baby girl would be staring at nothing but the ceiling. However, it would be a perfect ‘the kiddos are in bed and I need some therapy’ mindless task. Maybe something to do while watching Friends reruns over and over again….not that I do that (every night at 10:00).
  
  
• Use a glue stick to affix the circles to one-another....and make sure you have PLENTY of glue sticks proportionate to the project at hand before you begin. Make sure said glue sticks are NOT the seven year old glue sticks you purchased on a thrifty stock-em up clearance sale that have since turned to stone. These don't work so good. You may even have to make an emergency late night trip to Rite-Aid to remedy the situation...not that I did that (night before the party, 10:30 PM).
  
  
• Use the never-used-forgot-I-had-it paper scorer attachment on your paper cutter to make the folding super easy and crisp.

And WHERE is the tutorial? Download the pdf file off of Heather Bailey's site. Scroll down, bottom right under FREE Patterns. Not only is the pattern free, but scrapbook paper? C'mon, it's SO cheap...especially if you have one or three tote bins full of it just sitting around, right?!

Enjoy!

A

Beach Babe...

Would someone PLEASE point me in the direction of some tropical weather and a pool?



And pass me the Banana Boat, I wanna work on my tan...

A

Chicky Talk...

Aunty Beth, check out my duds!



Here I am, wearing my chicky jammies. Mommy thinks it's hilarious when I wear them. Oh, and by the way, my head is NOT freakishly large in proportion to the rest of my body, I'm just leaning forward and trying to give Mommy a kiss.

SMOOCH!

A