Mismatch of Stuff

My sister and I have started the tradition back up of having craft day around Thanksgiving.  As kids we did this with our mom and aunts and cousin – then we all grew up and got big and must of complained about craft day because it stopped.  : ) 

This year Shannon and the kids came to my house and made it an overnight celebration.  I wasn’t going to show you what we made because they are gifts… but what the heck… here is what we made.

Dangly Earring Holders!  Now if you get one from us – act surprised.  ; )  We even had to make one to give to each other because they were so cool.  It took us forever to make them - we worked until about 10pm that night! 

When all the kids were here they wanted a snack before bed.  I don’t usually give snacks before bed – but when the cousins are over all rules go out the window.  Except… you had to still eat your snack sitting on a flower.

My color is so off in this picture it makes me want to hurl.  Anyway, when Mallory gets a snack she gets a little dish from the cupboard and gives it to me and then goes and sits on a flower.  (which is painted on my kitchen floor)  I don’t know what I am going to do when I finally get my kitchen makeover and there are no flowers to sit on.  I use that all the time – if I am opening up the oven and she is in there she has to go sit on a flower.

This weekend someone decided that she could crawl up on the kitchen chair and sit at the table like a big girl!  Here she is eating her first lunch at the table like a big girl. 

More horrible lighting pictures – I’m sorry.  That sunshine was coming in and I wasn’t going to block it!  : )

Drinks from a real cup and is practicing her fork skills.  Where does the time go?  I’m not liking this!

Now you can see what kind of hair I have to deal with on a regular basis!  Its super fine!  Its super wild!

After she did so well eating her lunch here – I packed up her highchair and took it to the basement.  She loves sitting at the table with us and feeling like a big kid.

I did some Black Friday shopping.  I didn’t go crazy early – I went when I woke up which was about 6:30.  I just wanted to go to this home improvement store and get Mallory (and cousin Garrett) a big wheel bike which was on sale for $15!  I went to the store – and see massive amounts of cars parked on the street and in the parking lot.  Had a minor panic attack because I was afraid of finding a spot where I could park the truck and get back out of safely.  But I found one and it was the 3rd spot from the door!!  I was so excited because it was –2 with the wind chill and I wasn’t in the mood for a long walk!

I find my big wheel bikes and wonder around for a bit to see if there was anything else on my list.  Found .79$ twisty crayons and some .99$ coloring books.  Grabbed those and headed for the checkout.  I wanted to get to Target before I had to get back home.

I stood in that checkout line for an hour and half!!!!  I stood in line way longer then I shopped!  Now this store I am in is just a home improvement store that happened to have a few toys and other accessories for this special shopping day.  I can see if I was at Kohls or Target… but I wasn’t.  I was so bored!  I was all by myself watching people with their kids and babies in this massive crowd of chaos.  I started texting people and calling people.  I ran out of people to text and call so I literally opened up the box of crayons and started coloring in the coloring book!  Mallory won’t mind!  I had to see how well these twisty crayons colored! 

I stood in line so long it ate up the rest of my time I had so I never made it to Target and had to go home.

I did go back out on Saturday with my mom, sister, and aunts.  I got a pretty amazing deal that I just have to tell you about.  We are at Kohls and my aunts are telling us about Bobby Flay’s line of dishes that they are in love with.  We are checking them out and pretty soon we are all falling in love them.  We are oowing and aahing and giggling and drooling.  Bobby’s line of dishes was 50% off.  I found a chili pot with 4 bowls that I flipped over to check the price and it was already marked down 60% off.  I wondered if I would get another 50% off since all his stuff was on sale.  I found a Kohls girl and asked her – she told me YES!  But that is not all – I had a 15% coupon on everything.  So I was going to get another 15% off on top of that!  I did a little jig and screamed and got very stern looks from my aunts, my mom, and sister because this was the only chili set and I had my hands on it first.  : ) 

I paid about $10 for this…

Now I just need to prefect my chili recipe.

Being Creative in the Winter

It is just the beginning of winter and I’m already starting to feel a bit stir crazy because we can no longer go outside.  Once our garage is finished it will be heated and we can go out there and she can ride her toys around, which she will love and so will I.

In the meantime I have been trying to think up things to keep us entertained.  I remember being kids and loving it when my mom would make us homemade play dough.  I’m not sure how she did it because she would make it on the stove top… my recipe I just mixed flour, water, oil, salt, food coloring together and wa-la play dough!

Mally thinks she can eat it!  I repeatedly tell her it is yucky and you can’t eat it… however she still insists on trying it.  She will get a chunk of it and eat it and then shiver as she swallows it because it is so salty and then ask for her cup.  And then take another bite!  LOL.

We also have to get creative with her hair!  My goodness this girl has a mess of super fine unruly hair.  The hair on top of her head only grows in the middle (think mohawk) and then in the back of her head.  Well the hair on the top falls into her eyes and I’m not ready to give her bangs – I don’t think I want her to have bangs… too much maintenance having to keep them trimmed and out of their eyes.  (Maybe it is because I have bangs right now and I have been cursing them and want them to grow out.)  The hair in the back gives her a look of mullet-esk.  LOL.  So one day I had enough and put a pony on top of her head and one in the back. 

Jesse came home on lunch and sees it and started laughing at her hair.  He asks me “Lynn, would you wear your hair like that?”  Oh Gosh No!  However, if I had hair like her’s - then I might have to!

We colored a picture for the coloring contest at the local grocery store.  However, we never submitted it – but she had a blast coloring it one afternoon!

Books.  Books.  Books.  She loves Books.  Books of any size, shape, color.  It doesn’t even have to be a book – it can be one of my magazines.  She’ll grab my magazine, sit on the floor, and turn the pages and just look and look.  She also likes little manual.  We got a manual with our new TV remote and she spotted it and sat on the floor with that owners manual and jabbered away “reading” it. 

We also run around with daddy’s glasses!

This weekend I bought water colors and paint brushes and paper.  Hopefully it will keep us entertained for a couple weeks until I think of something else fun to do!  : )

Belly Status – Week 16/17

It is kind of amazing to me how I have lost track of this pregnancy already.  Someone asked me last night how far along I was and I didn’t know.  I know I am in my 2nd trimester… but what week?  I have to really stop and think what did my last email from babycenter.com say.  If it wasn’t for them I would have no idea what week I was on.  Guess this is what happens when you have an active toddler to take care of.

I’m some where in week 16 or close to week 17.  I believe baby is the size of an avocado right now.

Mally is attempting to show her belly too.

Ups:

~ I’m starting to feel better!!!  There are still moments of nausea, but I can usually power thru it much easier then early weeks.

~ I’m cooking again!  It feels so good to be back in the kitchen (most nights) and putting hot food on the table.

~ I’m feeling little movements!  I’m sure it is a bit early to feel anything – but I swear those are little baby flutters I’m feeling.  I usually feel them at night after we tuck Mally in bed and I come and crash on the couch and wait for my own bedtime.

~ The neighborhood we live in is awesome!  Basically all of our neighbors – even “neighbors” up the street/hill have told me that they would take care of Mally if I go into labor all of sudden and need to drop everything and run.  : )  I actually had to take Mallory to neighbor Judy’s the other night because I needed to leave and Jesse was outside working and was just about done and wanted to finish his task.  I called Neighbor Judy and she already had 4 of her grandkids, but she wanted Mallory too!  : ) 

Downs:

~ Exhausted!  I am still really exhausted and very tired.  I crave naps, but don’t get to take them – especially this time of year with year-end coming and 2011 catalogs coming due.  By 3pm it takes everything in me to keep my eyes open.  Even today I did a big grocery shopping trip and as I was sitting at a stop light I thought… I could just close my eyes and take a quick power nap and the person behind me will honk when I need to move.  ; )  I didn’t.  I wanted to.  But I didn’t.

~ Leg cramps.  Those blasted middle of the night leg cramps are back.

~ I’m starting to get too big for my normal clothes, but not big enough for the maternity clothes.  Which is always an awkward and fun stage to be in.  ; )  I started doing the ponytail holder trick to give me a little bit of wiggle room with my jeans.  As for my shirts, pppfsshh – there is no hope.  I bought bigger shirts a couple of months ago thinking they would be great to grow into… not so much!  They are now tight and well I don’t look 100% pregnant yet so I look like I’m trying to squeeze into small cloths.  I think I will be doing some after Thanksgiving shopping for mommy this year!  : )

I like this picture – however it is blurry.  I was doing self timers and I guess it didn’t know where to focus and everything turned out blurry.

Tin is going on!

We have been the talk of the street lately with our garage going up.  The neighbor lady that I walk with wanted to know if they could store stuff in it – it’s so huge.  The mail-lady commented on it.  The chiropractor (who also lives on our street) said “Now that’s a man garage”.

It is way taller then I had imagined, and it looks huge right now.  I have no doubt that FreyMoto (and our little family) will have any trouble putting it to good use.

I have been terrible about taking progress pictures.  It’s been cold and yucky out which makes me not want to go out there.  Also by the time they leave at night it is dark out and I can’t get pictures then.  Today I got an email from Jesse that said… my pictures were getting old and I needed to update.  : )  So I took pictures this afternoon and then I got grief from the contractors.  They said something to the effect of “oh now pictures” and I said “hey hey hey” and they said “just make sure my butt crack isn’t sticking out” and I laughed and told them they weren’t even in the shot because I couldn’t see them when I took the picture, however they are in there now that I look at them… but no butt cracks!

Here is the front.

Side view with the tin going on. 

We have a porch on this side – which I am going to love.  I need to be on the hunt for some rocking chairs.  ; )

By the time they left today they had this side fully tined and the other side done and they were starting to wrap our posts in tin!  They move quick!

Here is a short video of my tech girl.  Jesse got out his old laptop from the closet and hooked it up for Mallory to play with tonight.  This the quietest I have heard her in a long time.  It is usually constant chatter coming from her, but I guess this computer had her full attention.

Here is one of her putting a puzzle together where she is a little more chatty.

You Wanna Go?

My sister-in-law, Steph, and I had our own little ladies night.  We went out for appetizers and drinks.  They actually made me a kiddy-cocktail with a real cherry garnish!  I felt so special!  : )

Then we went to the main event – a concert.  Steph and I have been little concert buddies.  We both love country and our husbands don’t like concerts… so we leave them at home with the baby and go have fun.  : ) 

We went to see a new up and coming country singer Jerrod Niemann at a bar.  The last time I saw an up and coming country singer in a bar was in Portland and it was Sugarland!  It is way fun to see these guys before they get big, or at least I think it is.

Here we are before the show starts.  Standing in a massive crowd of people standing our ground so we don’t get pushed around and moved off our perfect view spot.

See here is the thing with Steph and I… we both show up one night to a family supper and we both have dark hair.  (We are both naturally blonde.)  I looked at her and said, did you color your hair?  and she says right back at me, did you color your hair?  YES!  We never even told each other that we were thinking of going dark and then we both did it the same week!  Special little bond we have.  : )

After standing in the crowd of people and people watching for about 30 minutes Jerrod finally came out.

We were kind of in the middle of the crowd – but as people needed to leave to go smoke or go get another drink we slowly made our way closer to the stage.

  Because we keep making our way closer and closer… I find my cousin Megan!  I really need to go to smile school!  Why in the world do I flash my gums when I smile!  Do they have a smile school?  Because I’ll go!  I only need to show my teeth – not my entire mouth!  And those things in my neck.  Gross!  Maybe smile school could make those go away too.

Jerrod is done with his performance and goes off stage, but of course he comes back out in a few minutes and sings a few more songs.  While this encore is going on two girls walk right in front of Steph and I and stop!  I kind of mumble under my breath “keep moving please”.  Now, I must remind you how loud it is in here!  It so loud that in order for Steph and I to talk we have to scream in each other’s ear and I do mean scream and even then you have no idea what each other is saying.  And if Baby2 doesn’t grow up to be a drummer I’m not sure what Baby2 will be.  Some how this girl heard me and whipped around and pointed her finger at me and yelled “The show is almost over!  So chill!”  I started laughing!

Steph looked at me and wanted to know what she said.  So I’m telling Steph what happened and that girl whips back around and is pointing her finger again and yelling “You wanna go?  Come on!  You wanna go?”  Again, all I can do is laugh.  She eventually walked away and I wasn’t worried at all… granted she was bigger then me and I would of totally been creamed.

See how close we got thanks to crazy drunk girls who need refills and leave.  ; ) To end my post I’m going to tell you a funny Mallory story.  Mallory and her puppy May (Maggie) are BFFs.  She loves Maggie.  We have been letting Maggie come in the living room at night.  Mally loves that.  She likes to walk around with Maggie tucked under arm… When Mally is standing she puts her arm around Maggie and walks around like that until Maggie suddenly turns and leaves and it sends Mally tumbling to the ground.  She just gets back and runs after Maggie and does it again. 

Anyway – she has been paying close attention to what Maggie does.  Like licking for example.  If Maggie is licking the floor (cleaning up Mally’s supper mess) Mallory will bend over and attempt to lick the floor.  To which she finds a screaming grossed our mommy yelling at both of them to stop!

Tonight – Maggie is licking Jesse’s feet.  Jesse loves it.  Lynn hates it!  I try to make them stop but neither one of them listen to me.  Maggie is licking away and Mally spots Maggie licking Jesse’s feet and goes to inspect.  Mallory then leans her head next to Jesse’s feet with her tongue sticking out.  She was going to lick Jesse’s feet just like her BFF was doing!!!  Noooooooo!!!

They’re Here!!

This afternoon about 11:30 I saw our contractor drive up with his trailer and I squealed and ran in circles.  Then ran to the computer to email Jesse to tell him the exciting news!!!

I was so excited that they were here that I actually stepped out onto the deck and welcomed them!  I know, nerdy… but I was so excited!  They just looked at me like I was strange and then wanted to know where the electric outlets were so they could get to work.  : )

I spied out Mally’s bedroom window and took this picture.  By the end of the night they have the back wall up and the north wall up!  But it was dark out when they left and no way I could take a picture.

Do you see our patio there too?  The high schoolers are putting that in and they are almost finished!  They have been working away on this patio for a very long time.  They only get about 30-45 minutes to work on it each day.

We are all smiles over here and find ourselves just watching the builders work.  We have been waiting so long that it is so fun to see something actually beginning to take shape.  Oh and to actually have a yard next summer and NO MUD!  Ahhh!!!  : )

Sprinkles and Frosting

I made cupcakes the other day for Jesse’s Dad’s birthday.  I thought “Oh Mally might like to help me frost and sprinkle them”. 

Oh it was a huge hit!  The sprinkles were her favorite.  I kept having to add sprinkles to hers.  Some how her chubby little fingers were able to pick them up and eat them and then I would hear “more more more more more more more” until I would sprinkle some more. 

Like every kid (and some adults) the frosting and sprinkles was all she ate.  Didn’t care about the cupcake.

Then I asked her to look at me and smile.  This is what she did.

This picture is 100% Mally – it screams her little personality!

Pumpkin Attitude

One of my favorite things to do for Halloween is to carve the pumpkins.  When we lived in Oregon we would gather our friends and carve away!  Somewhere in the move I lost all my carving knives and patterns.  My little town of 803 (soon to be 804) does not have carving kits!  I fell back on painting the pumpkins!

I wasn’t sure if Mally was old enough for painting, but I took the risk.

Started out great.  She painted with her little brush and didn’t say a peep.  She was in total focus.

Then she decided to paint with her fingers.

After the finger painting and paint all over her face and rubbing the paint brush in her hair… time was up!

The next morning I took her picture with the pumpkins and she gave me this look.

I started laughing so hard and clicking away on the camera.  

I can’t believe I did this – but I forgot my camera on Halloween!!!  We dressed her up and took her to the Halloween parade and my sister had a giraffe jacket where the hood was a giraffe head and it even had a tail… so she wore it with her tutu.  It was pretty cute!  You’ll just have to imagine it.  : ) 

I did however get her picture taken with her Halloween costume and they turned out so cute!  Here are some samples.  All the pictures below were taken by my Mom.