Elephant Fun...

I've been feeling convicted of favoritism lately.

Here I am, having had SO much fun decorating Lil Chick's room with doodads and cutesy crafts, while Bubbalu lives in a cave with bare walls devoid of color or inspiration.

Bad Mommy! Bad!

Really now, toddlers need color and shapes to stimulate their brains. There's even scientific proof:



See? I told you.

So in the best interest of Bubbalu's brain growth, I finally came up with a fun project to do for him.

Remember the Scrappy Silhouette Artwork I did in a bird theme for Lil Chick's room? I took that idea and gave it some good ole toddler boy influence:



Very fun, doncha think?

Meet Elmer:



Meet Phanty:



Elmer and Phanty are going to meet their new owner tomorrow. Hopefully they will acclimate to their surroundings quickly and provide entertainment, color, charm and whimsy to the cave of destitution.

Two 11x14 frames from Walmart - $10. Scrapbook paper - almost free. The most expensive part of this project is time - can I get a busy mom shout out about that!?

Find the elephant template here, courtesy of Ms. Martha. I'm including the link because it took me an embarrassing amount of time to find a simple elephant template.

Directions: Print the template directly onto your scrapbook paper, cut out, affix somehow and embellish or decorate as needed. Put in frame...aaaannnnd DONE. Whew.

Any other crafty toddler boy room decorative awesomeness ideas for me?

A

Dear Ms. Plaid Shirt Wearing Gal...

Dear Ms. Plaid Shirt Wearing Gal,

Whereas I am sure you are a very nice young gal, I beg you to do a final mirror check before you leave the house.

Why?

Well, I am certain my fellow Costco shoppers were equally appalled by your outfit of choice.

And though I know that the circulation and movement impairing ultra-tight short shorts are uber cool, pairing them with a long button down plaid shirt is against clothing codes.

Meaning...I couldn't see your shorts. Leading me to think that a nice young gal was walking around Costco with just a plaid shirt and flip flops on. I had to stare at you for a good minute or two before finally seeing an swatch of fabric that put my curiosity to rest.

How about a compromise? Why don't you trade in your ultra short shorts and plaid shirt and instead go for plaid Bermuda shorts and I'll stop staring at you.

I think it's an excellent idea.

A

Brown Zip-Up Hoodie Issues...

I have a new brown zip-up hoodie.

Hello brown zip-up hoodie, you have made my life better. I like you very much and intend to use you often. I appreciate that you didn't hit my wallet too hard and that you tend to disguise my postpartum chubs. You go with almost every clothing piece I own and you are cozy.

I enjoy wearing you with my current favorite casual outfit of a cute longer tank top, brown zip-up hoodie and jeans.

However.

Brown zip-up hoodie, please stop leaching brown fuzz onto my bare armpits. Really now. I showered AND shaved this morning but was surprised by the pseudo dark brown armpit "hair" that stared at me as I redid my hair this evening.

And I apologize to those of you who came over this afternoon when I was sans brown hoodie. I'm certain you too were fooled by the pseudo dark brown armpit "hair". It was brown hoodies' fault. He apologized and we have reconciled our relationship.

Thank you and goodnight...

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

I Love Daddy Everyday...

I want to be like Daddy someday, and have a little son.

I'll treat him like my Daddy treats me, I'll be his bestest friend.

Soon I'll be all growed up big and just because I can,

I'll still hug my Daddy everyday and say that I love him.



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

My Costco Petition...

I have a petition for Costco that I would like to present before you. I am convinced that this petition would bring about change for the betterment of the community and for humanity as a whole. I humbly ask for your support.

Costco needs a drive-thu y'all.

Imagine if you will...

Instead of: juggling your sloshing Mochas (yes, that IS plural) while pushing your overfilled Kirkland Signature laden shopping cart and giving the children the 'because Mommy said so and Mommy's in charge' lecture all the while staining your kept out to get sharpied receipt...

Replace with: Pulling up to drive thru window, children serenely buckled in and smiling, Costco goodies stowed away safely in back...and NO drippage of the precious Mochas (yes, that IS plural).

I petition Costco to offer a drive thru window offering their food court fare for purchase. It would be a great improvement to the current system, and I am certain the construction costs would be offset by the increase in food court sales by the end of the second...no, first week. My increased business alone could fund the new cash register and headset required for drive thru operation.

Their food court patronage would increase ten-fold, and as reward for my idea I would only ask that a smallish plaque be displayed prominently in the esteemed 'on the way to the bathroom' hallway and a pass to cut in front of all the cars waiting to fill up on low gas price days. A small compensation for a stellar idea.

Wouldn't YOU hit up a Costco drive thu window if the 'find a spot, park and walk in' hassle was eliminated? I surely would.

Although my family might start complaining when we have chicken bakes, Caesar salad and berry smoothies for the third night in a row...

A

Fashion Friday : Man-pris?

I remember a good 4 years ago being at Disney World with my husbands' family watching the euro boys confidently wearing their Man-pris.

Why I was in Disney World on vacation WITH my husbands' family while he was back at home is another story. OK, really it's not that big of a story. He was in Dental School and couldn't come. I was invited along with my in-laws, and being that I have a superb relationship with them, I went and had a grand ole time despite leaving my poor scholarly husband at home to fend for himself.

As the Man-pris' wearing men walked (strutted rather) past, my MIL and I raised our eyebrows and looked to my FIL and bro's in law to catch their reaction.

They were less than impressed.

I believe they said something along the lines of, "I wouldn't be caught DEAD wearing man-pris!". Or, "that's as bad a man-purse!". Or "chya, whateva".

However, I wasn't as turned off by them as I thought I would be. They just looked like long shorts that weren't very wide. Here's an example from REI:



The real reason I'm writing this post is that I recently bought some nylon cargo-ish shorts for my little man. He wore them for the first time yesterday...and had MAYBE two inches of leg showing beneath the hem.

They may not be classified as Man-pris (or toddler-pris) but they sure looked like them. Being that he is off the top of the height charts but in the lower end of the weight charts may have something to do with how they fit him. Meaning they are about to fall off. I cinched down the waist strap so hard I might have frayed it. I need 3T shorts with a 12-18 month waist for him.

But you know what? He looked cute. Really cute.

I noticed an increase in the Man-pris wearing trend around here last summer. I've not seen many around the stores yet this season so I'm wondering if the fad is over.

So weigh in. Does your man wear Man-pris? Do your boys wear Boy-pris?

A

And The Bald Guy Is My New BFF...

For More Things I Love Thursday, click on over to TheDiaperDiaries.

I didn't manage to get around to writing a post Tuesday night because I was busy scrubbing.

Usually, I am easily able to throw off housework in exchange for some good ole bloggy time, but this was a defining moment.

Folks, meet my new cleaning BFF:



And I know Jill has sung the praises of this baldy before, but really?!? I had no clue.

I opened the box, wet the boring looking sponge and started scrubbing.

I didn't stop scrubbing for TWO HOURS.

Remember the post when Bubbalu scrawled black ink all over my wood windowsill?

Those loop-de-loops are GONE.

COMPLETELY.

However, the deep etched in marks are still there. The Magic Eraser definitely lightened them though. Any pen marks that weren't etched in are gone. Buh bye!

We purchased our new construction home last year. As in 2008. There were miscellaneous construction related scuffs, stains and drips scattered throughout the house:

A dark brown splotch on the laundry room floor. A black scratch dead center on the upstairs bathroom linoleum. An 8 inch red scrawl on the tile back splash. A mysterious black scuff on the base of the glass slider door that screamed, "Hi! I'm Mr. Black Scuff Mark...My owner can't figure out how to get rid of me, so I'm here to welcome you being that I'm the very first thing you see when walking into the family room!".

And Tuesday night? I silenced Mr. Black Scuff Mark FOREVER...and I made him take his friends with him!

A

This has NOT been a paid endorsement.

Tuesdays Unwrapped - Itty Bitty Baby Spit Up...

How many more days will I have itty bitty baby spit up somewhere on me? Why does it always reappear after I've left the house? I find stray puddles on my shoulders, back, under my neck or on my pants.

I was feeding Lil Chick today when she choked, coughed, gagged and spit up her milk. I could feel it making its slimy path down my bare side towards the waistband of my jeans. Most of the time this really makes me upset. I do not enjoy the stinky sour milk scent. Nor do I favor cleaning it out of my clothing, upholstery and bedding.

Today I felt differently. I looked at the little baby in my lap and smiled. How many more days will I have a sweet baby girl to feed?

I picked up Bubbalu's baby book tonight and read about his developmental milestones. Lil Chick is neck and neck with her older brother. Will she really be scooting herself forward in just a few months? Do I really have to find those soft baby spoons so soon? Will you really be able to suck on your toes soon?

Savor today. Squeeze every drop of life out of it. Even if those drops make their way to your sholders, back, neck or your pants...

A

White Shorts Law...

I am loving my new white perfect bermuda shorts thanks to Old Navy:

Don't you love how thin and tan my legs are? What can I say, I work out.

When I was in Nursing School we had to abide by the strict dress code of all white scrubs, white socks, white shoes, short clean fingernails (no acrylics or nail polish) , long hair pulled back, no jewelry except wedding rings, no visible tattoos, wearing deodorant (I can't believe they needed to specify this) and no perfume.

Also, my Clinical Nursing Director specified white undergarments. She said she did NOT want us to wear beige understuff. She wanted to make sure we were actually wearing something. So, I broke fashion rules and wore white undergarments under my white scrubs. Not exactly tres chic.

To all you out there who are wearing white pants, shorts, capris or dresses this spring and summer, let's review the rules:

• Undergarments MUST be worn under white clothing



• Beige undergarments are the color of choice when wearing white clothing



• There are to be no patterns, stripes, polka dots, prints or phrases on undergarments when wearing white clothing



• Once white clothing is soiled, prompt laundering is necessary



• Wearing last years white flip flops is out of the question...mostly because they are in fact beige. Spring for a new pair at Old Navy for only $3.00.

Follow the rules and enjoy the white clothing folks...

A

Kreativ Blogger

Awww, thanks Tiff!



A

Le Master Bathroom Spa...

I had a beautification morning.

And as I would LOVE to report that my dear sweet husband treated me to a full day at the local spa, I would be lying.

Unless, that is, you could call it Le Master Bathroom Spa featuring Eau de grocery store cosmétique.

And instead of a luxury Hot Stone massage, I received an Efficient Hot Wheels massage...with the added (at NO extra cost) aromatherapy treatment of Syrup de Eggo with a hint of grapes to soothe the senses.

The next time you book a massage appointment at your Le Master Bathroom Spa direct your pint-sized masseuse to use the semi-truck massager...the added set of wheels perform a glorious deep tissue massage that will forevermore be your definition of relaxation.

This Mama actually found it within herself to shampoo, condition, blow dry and style her hair. We were trying to rock the unkempt bohemian look complete with headband and giant claw. And although that style definitely has a place in this world, going beyond the seven day mark is pushing it.

If my husband has to come home to his bohemian, gray (they used to be black) stretched out yoga pants and oversize t-shirt wearing wife who did NOT make dinner yet again, he might cry.

But as I read that last sentence over again, I realize that it's not true. Not the yoga pants and oversize t-shirt apparel. That, unfortunately, is true. My husband often says to me, "your job is to feed your baby and take care of your son. That's it, the rest isn't important!" And he means it.

However, as a woman, there is a significant beauty rut I fall into while being a SAHM. It's just SO much easier to wear the yoga pants that used to be black. At least I think they used to be black. I've worn the same pair through both of my pregnancies and I sure the hormone imbalance and 'placenta brain' factors have clouded my memory. And despite my husband loving me whether I've shampooed and conditioned or not, I need a change.

Today I'm fighting the enticing draw of comfortable bohemian yoga pants girl.

She was replaced by proud to be groomed sassy girl.

A

A Cupcake!

Bubbalu was digging around in our backyard a few days ago. My Mother in Law and I watched through the window as he took a giNORmous bite of dirt.

With a look of confusion on his face he spit it out. We, of course, laughed.

I went out and asked him what he was eating.



He said, "cupcake!".

Honey, if dirt tasted like cupcakes Mommy would be a MUCH better gardener...

A

In Which My Sander Comes In Handy...

As many a parent can attest, children will completely destroy your house. Do not buy expensive irreplaceable furnishings. Your progeny will jump on it, puke on it, throw it down the stairs, pee on it, kick it, throw it, burn it and so on.

We have officially experienced it firsthand.

We have had a gate in front of Bubbalu's doorway for a few months. He had been doing superb with staying in bed to sleep, so I STUPIDLY took it down. I thought he had matured into a sensible slumbering toddler. (Enter thematic appropriately suspenseful and foreshadowing music : Dum dum DUM...)

The evidence gallery:



Beautiful, no? And there's more:



He is a strong boy, my son. He etched into the wood as shown here:



I read somewhere that being able to draw loop-de-loops was a developmental milestone.

I am PLEASED as punch to announce that he has met this milestone:



I like the angle of this shot...very artistic:



Remember the post that talks about him getting up too early?

And wandering around the house unsupervised?

And why there is a sizable gate blocking his doorway?

Yeah, this is why.

A

Freedom Pancakes...

On Saturday I all but threw the kiddos at my husband and tore out of the house. It had been a looooong week full of snotty noses and whiny people (especially me). I needed a break.

I called my sister and cajoled her into driving to town and attend the pancake breakfast fundraiser with me.

It was embarrassing how excited I was to get out and eat some pancakes.

And they were good. Mostly because I didn't have to wrack my brain to come up with a meal idea, mix and make them, convince a stubborn 30lb boy to eat them, wash a syrupy face and fingers, scrub everything the syrupy face and fingers touched before I could wash them and then clean up the whole shebang. Drips of syrup on the table. Excess Bisquick that flew out of the box when I set it on the counter. Chunks of pancakes that my toddler thoughtfully donated to the floor.

I sat and savored my freedom pancakes and with a commendable show of restraint resisted going back for more.

My self control is admirable.

We continued in the 'moderation is best' theme of the day by eating cheesy chicken and rice nachos, homemade french fries, beer battered coconut shrimp and margaritas for dinner.

I restrained going back for thirds.

See? Admirable self control...

A

Tweaks and Tinks...

As you can see, we have some tweaking and tinkering going on here at the blog. New three column design and some other design changes. Huge shoutout to my wonderful e-friend Moriah at Please Pass The Salt for helping me. Thanks girlfriend! Go on over and check her out.

A

Susan Boyle...

Haven't heard of Susan Boyle yet? The blogisphere, twitter, facebook and email are hopping with Susan Boyle's Britain's Got Talent audition. She makes me want to cry, but in a good way.

I love what the judges say at the end. Check her out...

A

Plague Habits...

We have been afflicted by a plague over here.

I do not recommend catching this one. In the last two days I have blown through (literally!) all my tissue boxes and have taken to stashing toilet paper rolls in handy places throughout the house.

Because really, is there any difference between toilet paper and tissues? Don't they call TP tissue paper? And yes, I realize that certain lotionized Kleenex, Puffs etc. work wonders on raw undernoses, but I don't care to spend $6.00 per box. Especially when I need upwards of 5 - 10 boxes to survive this bug.

Side note: This is AFTER using nasal spray.

Tell me I'm not alone in my use of toilet paper to blow my nose?

And furthermore, do you make those little nose "plugs" out of twisted tissues? Because I am SO doing that right now, and the lady biking past my front window gave me a weird look...

A

They're Conspiring Against Me...

I discovered that my kids are conspiring against me:



However, I am ready for the attack and will prevail...

A

Re-Baptized...

Apparently Bubbalu didn't think Lil Chick's first baptism was legit. Mama came into the family room to discover her little baby like this:



Maybe that picture doesn't quite capture the moment. How bout this one?



Notice the pools of liquid on the Bumbo tray and that her hair is soaked?

Ladies and Gentleman, if it pleases the court, I'd like to enter into evidence exhibit A:



He doesn't look very remorseful, does he?

That'll teach Mama to leave out saline nose drops within reach of a certain tall toddler...

A

Worthy Is The Lamb...

On this Good Friday I am filling our house with the Message by way of music.

I have a fondness for Christian music that ties us to the believers before us and is steeped in the rich theology of the Christian Reformed faith.

Yes, I like hymns. Give me a Psalter Hymnal and I'm peachy. Call me old fashioned, call me stodgy, call me boring. Fine. You can't ignore the impact music has made on our faith. Hymns were used to teach theology. I have a problem with people wanting to competely rid the Church of these hymns that, after being around for hundreds of years, are suddenly "out of date" and "old-fashioned".

Not that I don't love the more current praise and worship music. My favorite modern day hymn is 'In Christ Alone' co-written by Keith & Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend. RICH in theology and awesome to sing:



There is a place for both in worship. However, I do believe that we are doing a disservice to our children if we are not teaching them the rich music that has been an integral part of our faith for generations.

With that in mind, I am playing 'The Messiah' today and throughout the weekend into Easter Sunday. The Messiah was written by Handel in 24 days in 1741. 24 DAYS. My copy of The Messiah has 252 pages in it minus the 3 introduction pages. That is a miracle.

Here is a video clip of the ending of The Messiah, the song 'Worthy Is The Lamb':



May you have a reverent and reflective Good Friday and celebratory Easter Sunday...

A

Smile Big!

It's hilarious to watch a group of adults try to get anyone under the age of 6 to smile for a picture. Jumping about, making funny faces, snorting, whistling, clapping, whathaveyou. Might be kinda fun to take some sneaky candid shots of the people behind the camera next time.

With my kids, I ALWAYS say, "smile big!" Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

Ok honey, smile big so Mama can take a picture!



Uh, not quite hon. You're scaring the people. Try again.



MUCH better.

OK little Lady, let's take a picture of your cute new dress, shall we? Smile big!



Hmmm. I get the whole "girls are more dramatic" thing, but let's try that again...this time in the bumbo. Smile big!



MUCH better.

A

Ten Tips For Mother's Expecting Baby #2...

This post over at 5 Minutes For Parenting was AMAZING.

Lil Chick is now 4 months old and the transition hasn't always been a cakewalk. Yes, she is a super sleeper and not having nursing issues like Bubbalu did. No, that doesn't mean she isn't any work.

Having 2 is an exercise in logistics. Timing meals, naps and everything in between to achieve a semblance of order is challenging. Just when we have a groove going, we have an outing. Church, grocery store, doctor appointment, errands, etc. Then you pay for it the next 2 days. I honestly wonder sometimes if it is more trouble than it's worth.

Just feeling a bit overwhelmed with the crazies today. Bubbalu was sick for 2+ weeks, and now we are playing the, "is it an ear infection or not" guessing game. I hope it is, because if this recent behavior change is really him, we are IN for it.

Go ahead and read Fried Okra's Ten Tips for Mothers Expecting their Second Child. Written honestly with a huge helping of practicality and a side of humor.

However, no matter what teeth grinding, nerves shredding, stressful kind of day I've had, I still watch them as they sleep and fall in love with them all over again...

A

Suncreen and swimsuits...

I put sunscreen on Lil Chick for the first time yesterday. There's nothing like that greasy iconic baby sunscreen smell to bring about thoughts of swimming pools, baby sun hats and beach umbrellas. Please spring, stay around a bit?

Rubbing sunscreen in gives a great mini-massage for the little punkin'. Lil chick grinned at me the entire time...it warmed my heart more than the sun did.

Now comes the bathing suit search...no, not for me. Although, it is likely this may the first year of the tankini.

Lil chick needs a swimsuit. Preferably an adorable one. With ruffles. And a matching sunhat, sunglasses and flip-flops. Because really, what's cuter than a baby in swimwear? NOTHING.

This one from Old Navy is rather cute:



And this one satisfies the criteria:

And I can get impractical itty-bitty baby matching flip flops:



And matching ruffly sunhat:



So cute it hurts.

I also found this adorable sundress for only $7.00:



And this cute suit for only $8.50:



However, I'm thinking the two piece options are more practical considering the inevitable changing of the barely holding it in poopy swim diapee hullabaloo.

OK, no more e-shopping for me. The sun is out and I need to soak up some Vitamin D. We are seriously deficient over here.

A

Wordless Wednesday...

Just hanging out at home with my crazy Bubbalu and Lil Chick in the Moby:



And yes, I realize I have now made this post full of words. April Fools! There you go, my halfhearted, I need to go to bed attempt at humor.

So it goes...

A

A Costcoing We Will Go...

So I headed back to Costco again today. Yes, I KNOW that I am at Costco on a biweekly pattern, but I can't help it. As long as I'm in the area, I may as well stop for those funky milk gallons and $3.99 cheese.

And maybe a $1.09 mocha.

Or two.

Yep...two.

Except with the littles in tow I have a hard time juggling all the lovely groceries and carrying two mochas. Not to mention the whole 'keep your receipt out to get checked and scrawled on by the sharpie wielding Costco employees' fuss. Yep, FUSS. Then you get your hair blow dried by the industrial heaters and you are spit out the exit garage door. So in short, all that with two mochas and two littles isn't easy.

Don't let the sharpie receipt marking whine fool you. I love me some Costco. I would live there if they let me. Mocha's and fresh muffins in the morning, watch the latest movie on the 64 inch screen, try a sample of everything for lunch, spend the afternoon trying on all the clothes in 3 different sizes and the 2+carat diamond solitaires, and settle in with the latest book and whatever I want for dinner...and all American chocolate cake for dessert. Glorious.

I wore Lil Chick in the Moby for my Costco jaunt and may I just say? I got some strange looks. Really? Is a baby being carried in a front pack so strange?

One lady asked me, "does she just SLEEP in there?"

No, she does crossword puzzles and calculates tax rates.

Things I am loving at Costco right now:

- Huge glazed teal planters for $39.99

- Adorable Calvin Klein 3 piece toddler sets. Faint plaid shorts, polo and over shirt. SUPER adorable. Don't remember how much.

- Girls spring dresses! Do you think buying toddler clothes now is a bit to early for Lil Chick? That's what my husband said.

- GiNORmous coloring books for kids. Really, they were HUGE. I want the Lighting McQueen one more than Bubbalu does.

- Blender! I need a new one and the one they had on display is all purty and shiny.

- Olive Oil. DUDE. I bought 4 LITERS of the stuff. Just because I could. And it cost the same as a smallish bottle from Safeway.

- Towels. I had major towel needs. Up until a few days ago we were still using the ones my parents gave to me when I graduated high school. HIGH time for new ones. I used some of my birthday money to get new bath towels, hand towels and washcloths in chocolate brown, light brown and green. They are NUMMY...and a SUPER deal for the quality.

- Outdoor furniture sets. Too many awesome ones to pick a fave. Oh, and I need a pool.

Just LOVE me some Costco.

What are you loving from/at Costco right now?

A

Scrappy Silhouette Artwork...

Lil Chick's room had a bare wall that screamed for some character, some inspiration, something.

I also had two empty frames laying around. And with just a smidgen of scrapbook paper in my possession, as I've mentioned before, an idea was born.

And despite this project taking me a good 2ish weeks to complete (my husband might argue 3 -4 weeks but he is SUCH an over exaggerator) it should be a quick afternoon project.

Scrappy Silhouette Artwork:



Directions:

1. Grab and coordinate a ton of scrapbook paper.

2. Download or draw your own silhouette. I chose the wren silhouette from Martha Stewart's website. I printed the silhouette directly onto my scrapbook paper after trimming the paper to printer size.

3. CAREFULLY cut the silhouette out and glue, photo stick or glue dot it to coordinating paper. I used the frame inside paper label as my template and glued directly onto it.

As you can see I chose to ignore the thin strip of paper between the wren's legs. My exacto knife has a rather dull blade...and I was just too lazy.



4. Embellish as you wish with coordinating scrapbook paper strips or whathaveyou.

I am now thinking a bit of shimmer on the birdies might be fun. But that might stretch my project out another month or two, and there's only so much my husband can take.

Enjoy and please post your crafty results!

A

Easy Decoration Idea...

I happen to have...oh...about...well... 2 or 8 tote bins full of fabric. Really, I do. It's an addiction really. But a FUN one.

Since I love my fabric so much, and often have cutting anxiety, I often choose to showcase it instead of harming it:



Easy peasy decor.

Besides, I can change it out anytime I want and haven't invested a huge amount of money.

I thought this little shelf area would be a great place to herald the arrival of spring...so WHERE IS IT?

Hello!? Spring? Where ARE you? Did you get lost? I bet you used the wrong Mapquest directions when I already told you they were wrong, didn't you?

*sigh*

A

Sign and Seal...

We had Lil Chick baptized last Sunday. It was a special tender moment in our little family.

My special life moments and events seem to be extra sharp and slowed down while they are occurring. On Sunday when she was getting sprinkled I remember thinking, "remember how you are feeling, what you are seeing, don't blink too fast or you'll miss something!"

What I DO remember...

We walked up to the front, Lance holding Lil Chick, me with a death grip on Bubbalu's hand, both of us praying he behaved. Bubbalu was (and STILL IS) sick and had recently taken to blowing his nose into his HANDS. Why, why, why, WHY would one do this? I have no idea. Extra moisturizing perhaps? After he does this he stares in wonderment at his hands probably curious as to why gobs of snot have now taken up residence on his hands.

Anywho, I was fully expecting him to blow his nose in his hands at the moment Pastor Pete baptized poor looked over Lil Chick. Not so.

What he DID whisper to me right after we walked all the way up?

"This is nice, Mommy."

Yes, Bubba, this IS nice.



A

You Know It's A Bad One...

You know it's a bad one...

-when you can smell her aroma from more than 4 feet away. For example, when driving and can smell her in the backseat. Not like that has ever happened to me before...as in today.

-when she screams the, "I have acid poo on my behind!" cry.

-when you can feel the wetness penetrating her 3 layers of clothing...to her shoulders.

-when you wish you could gown and glove up for the diaper changing procedure.

-when you lay down a protective layer FOR your diaper changing pad.

-when you don't dare wash any of your other clothes with the affected garments.

-when you wish you could do a surgical scrub AFTER the diaper changing procedure.

-when it is so memorable you can write an entire blog post about it.

A

Custom Letter Tutorial...

First off, buy wooden letters that spell your kids name (Michaels, JoAnns, or Hobby Lobby for those of you NOT on the west coast has em for pequeno dinero). I am guessing that many of you already have these, as they are extremly popular and quite cute.



Then go through your 3 tote bins full of unused scrapbook paper and pick out a bunch that go well together. What!? You don't have 3 tote bins full of unused scapbook paper? Oh. It's just me then. Feel free to come over and take some of mine.

Lay the wooden letter onto the paper and trace around it. Put the FRONT of the letter onto the BACK of the paper. OR, put the RIGHT side of the letter to the WRONG side of the paper...or maybe the PRETTY side of the letter to the UGLY side of the paper....I could go on for hours, but I won't (clapping heard) :



See? That wasn't too hard was it? :



Next step, carefully cut it out. Yep, just like elementary school, but this time we get sharper scissors.

Turn the paper and the letter pretty side up:



Glue, photo tab stick or gel dot the paper cut-out onto the wooden letter:



Voilà! C'est Magnifique, no?



Staple some coordinating ribbon to the back of those letters and they are ready to hang.

Let's review, shall we?

Drab:



To fab!:



I just love how this one turned out:



Uber adorable and super easy. Doesn't hit the wallet too hard either.

And I know you should probably modge podge the paper onto the letter, but me? I likey to change my mind...and my decor. So I choose to lightly stick the paper onto the wooden letters with glue dots or photo stickers so I can change the paper anytime I want.

One note of caution...when Bubbalu was a baby I had his letters hanging on the wall above his crib. What I didn't know was that he could reach them...you see where this is going, don't you?

Enter Sesame Street voice, "This nap has been brought to you by the letter EEEEE". He had pulled the letter down, ripped the paper off and had EATEN HALF OF IT. I am SO not kidding. What was with his eating of non-food items?

Enjoy the project folks, and be sure to post pics to share your creativity...

A

Simple Saturday Snapshop...

LOVE this picture of Lil Chick just hanging out on the boppy:



Looking at me like, "and HOW much longer do I have to do this stupid 'tummy time' crap? Cause this is SO not cool".

She's got a 'tude already...the teen years might be painful.

A

It's All Trivial...

Hmmm, guess I took an impromptu bloggy break. Guess I was feeling overwhelmed. Or just whelmed. Because you DO know that whelmed and overwhelmed mean the same thing, right? You didn't know that? I'm not lying, it's true.

So the story of my life goes. I know countless bits of trivia and inconsequential flotsam. The only time I get to retrieve those pearls from the hallways of my brain and actually use them to impress anyone is either A. Blogging B. Trivial Pursuit or C. crossword puzzles.

Not exactly worthy of an award or national recognition, but whatever. At least it makes me a bit more interesting. Cocktail party conversation starters, maybe. Because I go to so many cocktail parties. Heh. I'm living the high life over here.

Other random bits to elighten:

• do you know that the highest quality coffee comes from an arabica coffee bean, which is different than most coffee beans? It also has the lowest caffeine content as well. Don't believe me? Here you go.
• Double points if you know what a hautboy is...
• or that the "green fairy" highly alcoholic drink is absinthe...
• last but not least, that bears don't actually hibernate!

So, we are back to blogging on a somewhat regular basis...

A

Whining + Posting = RESULTS...

Apparently if you whine long enough and post a blog about it, you sometimes get what you want.

Check out what we now have in our garage:



Oh yeah baby, we got a freezer! An early birthday present for me. And Mom, I will come and collect all the miscellaneous frozen goods that I have stashed in your freezer.

Thank you Craigslist. And can I just say? We got a SMOKIN' deal on this beaut. Lance borrowed his Pa's truck and picked it up last night.

I am so excited because of this stinkin' appliance. Not that it actually stinks as it's officially been cloroxed from top to bottom. We're not animals you know. And bleach can be your friend. Especially if you are a garage sale, craigslist or thrift store patron. Just be careful about your clothes when handling the stuff. It only has to happen once...

I got right to work cleaning it out and filling it to the brim:

OK, maybe brim isn't exactly the best descriptive. Not very full, is it? And this is after my Mom donated a bunch of food that she didn't need.

So all I have to say is:

COSTCO HERE I COME!!!

A

Craving Freezer Burn...

I just read an online article about how to save 25% on your food bill. Most of it had to do with not overbuying, cooking smartly and actually eating leftovers (as opposed to Tupperwaring and forgetting them).

I've been a Martha in the kitchen lately. Meaning I've been bit by the 'Have a hot meal on the table for the husband' bug. Also known as the 'I've been slaving over a hot stove, raising your progeny and am barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen so cut me some slack!' bug. Except that I'm not pregnant. And I usually wear cozy socks. But I DO enjoy a good cut of slack...with a side of guilt.

Not that I have to guilt my hubby to do anything kitchen related. The man is actually a whiz in the kitchen - a superb dishwasher packer (I suck, apparently), ingenious recipe alterer and stunning fridge/freezer reorganizer. That man has some serious skillz. His Mama taught him well.

Which is fortunate as we have to be smart about freezer space. At this point we do not have a bonus freezer stashed in the garage. We have our kitchen french door refrigerator with bottom split freezer shown here:



However, I've discovered that a 9x13 pan does NOT fit in any way, shape or form...unless it is melted down into one big ball, then I'm sure Lance could figure out a way to make it work.

During my major cooking spree I've been double or tripling recipes to have leftovers and frozen spares. Unfortunately, that means we are about to pay rent on the freezer space that we are using over at my parent's house.

Eventually, we'll buy a freezer...when it gets to the top of the 'Things we need to purchase for our home' list.

In the meantime, if you happen to have an unused freezer lying around, feel free to ship it to me...

A

Tutu...

My sweetie...




I whipped that tutu together for her about 20 minutes before we had to walk out the door for the photography appointment.

Good thing I didn't waste too much time on it because she peed all over it...

A