Improv in the kitchen

If there is one thing I have learned from B, it's to work with what you have. Since he is gone I knew it was time to have some meals that he doesn't care for. Unfortunately, I was out of cream of mushroom soup to make tuna casserole. We had every other cream of soup out there but no mushroom. We headed off for groceries this weekend with it on our list, check!

I also must admit that I am now coveting an electrolux stove now that boils water in one minute. Oh how that would cut my cooking time. So I am getting everything all ready tonight and realize I bought two cans of cream of chicken & mushroom. I said heck with it and tossed it into my dish and oh how it was yummy. Willa and I ate like we hadn't had a meal in days. But then again, we have never been gals to turn away a good noodle dish. I made it with shells and she just loves those. I have a blast watching her use her spoon every day to eat her yogurt and applesauce. She is still pretty messy but really does a good job getting it into her mouth. Most of the mess comes from when she starts running out and resorts to using her hands.

A gal at work loves to bake and the office is now reaping the rewards of her hard work. She brought in candy today and one of the kinds was something I attempted to make for Willa's party. Hers turned out correctly and I now know the secret. We stopped off to get rolos tonight and commenced making rolo/pecan/pretzel melts. Now I just have peanut clusters and butterscotch krunchies to make and my daycare gifts will be complete.

The little chicky made herself a little palette tonight when she got her milk. It was so cute to see her pull blankets down and arrange them how she wanted. I let her do that for a while and then off to bed she went. Have I mentioned how nice it is now that she lets us know when she is ready for bed? Oh my gosh it is so nice, no more screaming fits and throwing things. Lately she has been getting tired around eight and then sleeps until 6:30 and 7. That's not so bad when B is home, but when its just me I have to do a little finagling to get us both out the door.

This morning I was ready at 7 but we still didn't get out the door until 7:40. I shoveled the walk, made my lunch, and got her ready but we were just so slow. Sadly, it was the morning we had a big A&A webinar that started at 8 that I thought was at 8:30. 10th hadn't been plowed this morning and it was a rough go getting to daycare and then the office. I was so worried we were going to keep sliding through stop lights even though it seemed like I was barely moving.

I only have one present left to wrap. I am kind of excited about my semi-homemade Christmas gifts and I hope everyone likes them.

Analytical

So I started this blog so I could jot down the things I don't want to forget and I have a few stories that have just cracked me up about the little chicka.

So the aforementioned tree has received a lot of attention from her and I have the glittered ball ornaments that struck her fancy right off the bat. She maneuvered one off and then a second. You know, one for each hand, but then she spotted another one that she wanted. Of course she couldn't put down the two she was holding for fear that mom would take them. (I could see her little wheels turning and it was just way to sweet to tell her no). So with just her two little pointer fingers she finagled that 3rd ball off the tree.

This morning she woke up around 3 and couldn't put herself back to sleep. I went to pick her up and she wailed for her elephant pillow. We grabbed it and headed to the couch thinking she would lay on me and fall back asleep. Oh no, she squirmed until she was next to me and then squirmed some more as she worked her pillow out from under. She plopped it on my pillow, gave it a fluff, and rested her little head right down. It was just precious.

She has taken up coloring and despite a few no, no, no's about putting them in her mouth she does pretty good. She grabs a notebook and writes a little, turns the page, and so on and so on. She even holds the crayons "right," just like Mrs. Briggs taught us in 3rd grade. Sometimes she even plops down on her belly to color her coloring book. It just amazes me how quick she is becoming a little person.

The tree came down again and has now been moved to the dining room. We spent most of Friday night cleaning up and moving things around getting ready for the new windows to go in, which brings me to the next story.....

I bought this large martini glass, shamrock decorated, St. Patty's day thing a few years ago at Michael's and it has clear glass rocks and some yellow and green dragon tear rocks in it. As I was in the office hiding Christmas presents out of the way she sat on the floor and showed her first anal accountant tendency. She went through all those rocks removing all the clear ones and put them in a pile on the floor. It was fascinating to just watch go through and pick them out one by one. I am not lying when I say you can tell when she is focusing on something she really wants.

But alas, the last window just went in and the kiddo is waking up.

Lessons Learned

This has been a week of learning for me. About myself, my family, and my child.

My work spouse put eloquently this morning that sometimes you have to be the squeaky wheel to get what you want. More importantly, I stood up for my ethics and didn't get pushed around. Our windows saga/drama continued this week when we were told we might not get them installed until after the new year. Being an accountant I am up-to-date (usually) on the tax laws especially on credits which I will be using. For those not so in the know, the federal energy credit expires on December 31st. That means everything must be installed. Mr. Window Salesman seems to think people can just fudge things, which they could, but accountants are held to a higher standard and I am not risking my one day license to fudge on a tax credit. People don't realize how much the IRS is looking at credits and deductions these days. With all the electronic filing now, W-2's and 1099's are easing to match up, its all the other stuff they look into now. There were so many people audited over the home buyers credit because of people filing fraudulent returns. But I digress, despite Mr. Windows Salesman contracting with installers that won't call him back, he found me a new one and the windows are going in on Saturday.

Which means occupying a toddler all day while dealing with that and no hubby around to help. Yay for a TDY. But we are going to hydrate and press on.

My second lesson of the week means I may have to admit the hubby was right. I am putting it in print and will wait for the gloating to commence upon him reading this. T0ddler + tree + force = tree on the ground = breaking plastic. I turned my back to hang up my coat and crash Charlie Brown came tumbling down. Child was good, but one of the ornaments met a tragic end.

My third lesson also occurred tonight while making dinner. Our dear dare-devil child thought it would be a good idea to stand up in her high chair. It continues to amaze me how fast she can move when she wants too. I should have strapped her in to begin with, but usually she just hangs out munching on her snack chatting with the eagerly awaiting dogs.

Her Christmas program at daycare was tonight as well. It was really cute, the kids acted out Twas' the Night Before Christmas and then sang some carols. Willa joined in at the end for some singing and bell ringing. She nailed her part. Sadly, the program started at 7 and bedtime has crept to 8 so we booked it out of there before Miss Cranky pants lost it. It has been so funny, when she is ready for bed she puts her hand over her head and waves bye bye. That usually means she happens about 5 minutes before she crashes. It has been great for us though, no more fighting bedtime.

New words this week are Stop, Tay Tay, and I swear this morning she said Where's dada? No way, Bosco and good girl continue to be favorites. Visitors arrive next week and hopefully the house is all put back together and I can get it ready in time for Saturday morning.

Relive

http://labrisaphotography.smugmug.com/Weddings/Jackie/15039046_Sodu5#1123407262_i9GTA

JCF's wedding pics were posted last night and I may have relived all the hilarious moments we had all day. I looked like a goof in several pictures but I sure had a good time. Thanks again Dr. JCF and Ranger Fry for including me in your day and remembering JP & me on your honeymoon. Porta-potty= FAIL; Tree-hugging=EPIC.

The Amazing Race

Two posts in one day! ::Gasp! But this was such an amazing day and I couldn't wait to share. In May our shareholders did an amazing race on their retreat and when they came back to share we wanted to do it too. We decided instead of donating our blue jean Friday money every month we would pool it so we could do something at the end of the year and we also decided to forgo our Christmas party and use the money to give back. Luckily for us, our CFO who organized the first Amazing Race is in our office so she helped coordinate this one.

So today 9 teams visited over 19 organizations giving funds, shopping wish lists, participating in activities and all while having a wonderful time. My team went to the Senior Center and did an exercise/bone strengthening class that was truly phenomenal. I think I am going to have lady come do a class in our office. Our second task was to buy gift cards for kids in group homes who are also one of my favorite audit clients. They use cards to give the kids when they go "home" for the holidays to make sure they get a meal. Fast food may not be the best but it is better than nothing. We were also able to bless them with the copy machine we replaced today. We received our final clue and it was $50 to spend how we wished. We gave $20 to the young man we met in the group home and he was so touched, but not as much as we were to meet him. We took our remaining $30 to buy cat litter and cat and dog food for the animal shelter. (Don't worry dad, we bought Fresh Step!!!! for $7.96!)

Several of our groups were able to negotiate deals with the stores they bought from. One restaurant we went to wished he had known we were coming in and he would have had gift certificates that were special to his store instead of franchise cards that he would have donated so we could spend more in other places. He told us if we do it again to let him know so he could help out too. We all gathered back at the office for dessert and to share all of our stories. It was totally a success and it sounds like we want to do something in the summer time again. As an extra surprise 4 of us won the prize of getting an additional $75 to donate to the group of our choice. I was very excited to be one of those people. You can bet that I am going to direct my funds to some more gift cards for those kids.

The non-profit organizations in the area do such wonderful work for so little and there were a few tears shed by co-workers today. It may be the season of giving, but today really opened our eyes to the needs of these groups throughout the year when people aren't thinking about these groups and the people they serve.

Miss Independent

Willa has finally stopped screaming when I drop her off at daycare and I think we are thankful for that. Now she thinks she is big stuff because after I take her coat off she walks to where she is supposed to go. Today she went over to the "Big Kid" side and they lifted her over to hang out before breakfast. Even at home she wants to do so many things by herself and she has been helping me get her dressed. It just cracks me up.

Today at work, we are doing a giving Extravaganza and I am so excited. I will post more afterwards.

Fearless

Not the Taylor Swift song, but our Kid is fearless!! Or has no common sense...we haven't decided, though it could be a combination of both. She dives off couches, runs around like a mad women and face plants to the floor like it is no big thing. She has scratches and bruises but acts like it is no big thing. I am glad she isn't timid but I have a feeling we are just getting payback for all the scrapes and ruckuses we created growing up. It doesn't seem like baby proofing is helping either as she is very smart. Outlet covers, plug ins, lighters she has figured out. Football players have nothing on her.

I don't know who was more proud, Grandpa or Dad, when she went digging under the recliner, came up with a lighter, turned it in her hand, and actually tried to light the sucker. It shouldn't surprise me though with the sheer amount of candles that her Dad lights around here and the fact that the Moylan's may in fact be pyros. She totally enjoyed being spoiled by her Grandpa for the week and getting to hang out with her Grandma and Aunt. They drove up right after a huge dumping of snow and ice and then it kept snowing it seemed like for 4 days.

I took the in-laws Black Friday shopping and though I didn't buy much we had a pretty good time. We stood in line at Joann's for 4 hours to get our fabric cut and had I asked a few questions of the non-profit I am going to start making pillowcases for, I would have been at the cutting table a lot longer than I was. I am not sure what to think when the most money I spent on Black Friday was at a fabric store. I have many projects to get done in the next coming weeks and I can't wait for Christmas to get here so I can show them off.

Bosco is the new word of choice around here and I couldn't be more pleased that she picked his name over Belle's. I think it is only fitting as he takes the most abuse from her. She is saying Good Girl more, and No Way. No Way is actually pretty comical because she usually spouts it out at the perfect opportunity or if you ask her a question. The tantrum throwing is not so nice but hopefully just a phase.

Other than that, our Holly Jolly spirit has not kicked in because the snow was falling so hard on Sunday that I wasn't going outside to get the decorations. Has yours?

Thanksgiving

So I am already getting grief for not posting but as always I have an excuse. We have company! Unfortunately for everyone, B and I woke up in the middle of the night very sick today. I recovered long enough to make some Thanksgiving dinner and then took a nap. B is finally feeling better and I am back on the downhill again.

We have made our list for shopping tomorrow but just can't bring ourselves to go at midnight, so it seems like 4 am will be when we head out. We had a heat wave today of 20 degrees.

I will post more about our visitors and all the fun of house guests later. Until then, Happy Thanksgiving!!

Weekend Rewind

So I have taken a little breather, mostly because I was studying for a part of the exam. I think it went ok, not sure if I passed it or not. The night before I had planned a review just to finish getting myself ready. Yeah, nothing ever goes as planned I have decided. The poor Bug had her first vomiting incident and I may have successfully overcome my gag reflex. I have never had anyone else's grossness on my and I can only hope it is a long time before she is ill again. Poor thing, had no fever or anything, she was just sick. She stayed home on Wednesday and slept most of the morning. By the time I had driven back from Helena, I wasn't feeling so hot and she was ready to party. B left me to go take a test as well. I ended up staying home on Friday because I thought my head was going to explode from the sinus pressure.

I have also learned that just because it says non-drowsy doesn't mean its not going to knock my but out on the couch for an hour. That happened on Saturday when I had planned on cleaning a little. (Like I said, the best laid plans....) Our new windows are being delivered on Tuesday, so B had to get the garage all ready for them to arrive. I really can't wait for them to be installed and of course it might be when our visitors arrive. But we will adjust and make it all work.

B and I will be making Thanksgiving dinner for our 7th year running. Dinners have evolved in that time and most of the guys we used to cook for are all spread throughout the world. Last year was the first time it was just us and we were pretty down about it, but this year with family coming, I hope we bring back some of that previous joy. I think we are going to try some new dishes and Willa will get to enjoy this year.

Have I mentioned her penchant for saying No Way! now? Well, it's pretty funny most of the time, but she doesn't always use it in context. Sometimes it means Yes! We are working on please now, so that she will ask nicely when she wants a book read to her. Poor Bosco has been attacked by her all weekend. She sits on him, tries to ride him like a horse, pounces, and hugs. He just lays there and takes it until she tries to play with his teeth. Every time we tell her to be nice, she says Good Boy.

Besides doing some cleaning, we haven't done much. We walked to the park but it was getting chilly so we didn't stay long. Watch football of course. Teams we wanted to win, did not. My poor Wildcats just aren't being very consistent.

I talked to my favorite JP the other night and I think we are both ready for Harry Potter next week. I am trying to figure out when B and I are going to see it. Next weekend is the Cat/Griz game and everyone is usually pretty busy.

Have a nice week everyone.

I totally forgot!!

THE BUMBLEBEE IS BACK BABY!!!

I forgot to mention that in my last post. My dash lights all work correctly now and it's great. Now I just need to get an oil change and all will be well with the world.

It seems like we are on the verge of a major verbal break through. Willa has been saying several words one time, but we can totally tell what they are. The new favorites are Good Boy and Good Girl to Bosco and Belle. She has also learned No! Usually in context too. I have even heard a few thank yous tossed in there.

We also think she might be allergic to strawberries. She breaks out in little round bumps all over her face occasionally and we couldn't figure out what it was because they would always go away fairly quickly. Last night she had some strawberry yogurt for dinner and it finally dawned on me. I am hoping it is something she will grow out of, but I am just so glad it hasn't been worse that it is and upset that we didn't realize what it was sooner.

At daycare I think they have been working on utensils and cleaning. She can use her spoon a little bit even though it usually a big mess. On the plus side she will also wipe her hands and face if you give her a wipe. She even wiped my face for me.

Her love of books is growing!! She finds her Mommy Love Me book every night and makes me read it over and over. I love that she wants me to read to her but I am so ready for a new book with more than 15 words. Paged books are no good since she loves to rip paper. She did bring me a farm book tonight so hopefully we can diversify a little. Whoop Whoop!

So I have slacked.....

Sue me. No, just been super busy at work and then out of town for a few days. We had our annual firm-wide CPE on Wednesday and Thursday which meant we got to see which accountants can drink a lot, stay out late and still make it to class at 7:50. Then sit there all day!!! I did it, but I was exhausted to say the least. Thankfully, the little one was wore out from her day too and we went to bed early. But we got to see some old friends, show off our dance moves, and had a good time.

Back at the home front, we discovered 2 more teeth came in, and that we skipped a few that seem to be coming in this week. If they do, her bottom right side is dominating in the teeth department. However, I think we might have the most hygienic child ever. She loves to brush her teeth AND floss. I am not very good at it, but her dad is and she is starting to get pretty good at doing it herself. I don't mind since with her genetics she is likely to end up with a mouth full of metal, so she will need all the help she can get.

Halloween made our little ladybug pretty excited. She loved running to the door to greet the trick-or-treaters. We had 19 before we turned our light out and then 2 little devils knocked on the door after I got out of the shower. B is sure we are going to get egged now, since I didn't give them any candy. They were old enough to know that no light means no candy so I didn't feel bad. Shoot our whole block had their lights out. That just drives me crazy.

But it was a good weekend and we got a few things done. We are getting ready for our Thanksgiving visitors and we still have a little ways to go.

A-mazing Sneakiness

We didn’t go to the corn maze as anticipated on Saturday, but I did get to help decorate a cake on the cold morning. We actually had frost on the ground! I guess it is October but it has been in the 70’s all week, so I guess it was just a fluke. The cake was fun, though we lived and learned. Cake decorating should be done in stages and Mandi did not allow enough time for cutting and freezing before we frosted. Result=chocolate cake in the frosting. But it still looked good and I heard the 84 year old Notre Dame fan loved it!

Sunday brought a milk/bottle strike from the little one. We have been trying and losing the battle of the bottle since before her birthday. I had heard horror stories of trying to break the bottle habit and we were gearing up for a long road. (Funnily enough, B made the comment that we were due for a battle since everything else has been fairly easy. This was easy for him to say since he was 2000 miles away during the first teething stage) I digress…..she would not drink anything but water. So on Monday, I told daycare I didn’t know what she would do and they just smiled. Fast forward to 5:00 I picked her up and she is drinking milk out of a sippy. I said Wow, did she do that all day to which they replied, “Oh, she has been doing that for a while.” NICE, she would throw a fit when we tried to use it. Now that Miss Sneaky has been outed we haven’t given her a bottle and she seems to be doing fine.

Sunday afternoon after a sad Chiefs loss, we headed out to the Corn Maze. I thought it was fun, cheap entertainment; the other two were under enthused. We played in the hay jump, whet half way through the corn tunnel, completed the corn conundrums, went down the slide, rode the grain train and did one of the corn mazes. It was a gorgeous day and we only had to turn around a few times doing the maze. I would be willing to bet the haunted maze at night is fun for the kiddos, but we didn’t try that.

I jinxed the poor Bumblebee. I thought I blew a fuse on my dashboard this morning and it made it quite a trip from daycare to work without knowing how fast I was going. Not safe, I know but luckily I was only on one busy strip to cross the bridge. But now it appears it’s a cluster box of some sort.
Have I also mentioned she loves playing in her old car seat? Hilarious!

Long Time No See

It might have been my longest hiatus from blogging, and it's mostly because I don't know what to write about. Do I write about my five days in Kansas or how I change more dipeys at home. :)

Kansas was a success. We got JCA married and she is now Dr. JCF and I have a feeling I am going to have a hard time making the switch. But after a harried day on Wednesday for JP and I to fly in to KCI. We both had drama, but after a delayed start we headed off to Manhappenin', where we both decided we are old. I learned this lesson the hard way and have vowed to never do it again. One of the bright spots of our trip was the TWO stops into Hobby Lobby. Oh how I heart Hobby Lobby. It makes we want to move to be near one. The game was a disappointment but we got to see some people we haven't seen in a while and meet some new friends. Plus, we got to play pitch!! The fun continued well into Friday and we successfully rehearsed and then got to know our new friends better. I even found out we knew some common people. Not that Kansas is very big, but it's still always fun.

The BIG day was a neat experience too. The only other wedding I have been in was my own, so it was nice to view from this perspective. JCA was gorgeous and our photographer was hilarious. The I Do's were said and we were off to dance! Poor JP took a shot to the nose, but we all survived. SEW and I enjoyed some champagne and we chatted with our new friends well into the night again. The four hour drive the next morning was not nearly as exciting.

The neatest part of the whole trip was how the four of us haven't been all together in over two years and yet it felt like we still lived next door to each other. Those are the kind of friendships you hope for and I feel so blessed to have them.

The Kid and I were glad to be home and B was successful in his class he took while we were gone. She was also very excited to finally had reluctant tooth break through and we were relieved as well.

We celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary today, and while our relationship has evolved I can't think of any regrets about putting on that Maggie dress and waltzing down the aisle.

We are going to check out the corn maize tomorrow and I hope it's tons of fun.

Intruders and Shrinkage

Fall has arrived and brought a few little treats with it! Willa woke up the other night and I was sure for just a few seconds that somebody was breaking into the house. I kept hearing "walking" on our porch. But then it hit me, the crab apples were falling off the tree! They are like missiles if you aren't careful, we almost need to wear hard hats. It was nice to realize we were safe, but I am ready for the rest of them to fall so our porch doesn't look like a blood bath and we stop hearing them fall.

I have always heard that pregnancy changes your body, including your feet. As in your feet get a little bigger. A year or so ago I bought two pairs of boots, black and brown. Same boot, different color and I only tried on one. Well, my brown were a little snug, like a little narrow. I just couldn't part with them but I had a hard time wearing them because my feet would hurt. I put them on the other day and lo and behold they fit just fine. So I am not sure if your feet can shrink or if I was just low in my water retention but I am excited!

Our little Chicky gets more stubborn each day. She comes by this trait honestly, but man it can wear a parent out! I heard a phrase the other day that I think is so true. When they are newborns you are mentally exhausted and when they are toddlers you are physically exhausted. Her stubbornness is pretty funny, except it's probably going to get her hurt. She is fearless and has no problems throwing herself on to things. She ran into her car seat the other day and gave herself a black eye and I don't think it phased her one bit. She likes to walk when we are doing things instead of being carried. I like her Independence, but it makes me nervous for next week when she needs to set on my lap for the flight to Kansas. I am pretty sure it may not go well. I know I am going to be tired by the middle of the afternoon.

I am not complaining by any means just flabbergasted by it, but our kid has no interest in the TV except to turn it off or play with the remote. It amazes me because we always have it on, typically ESPN or music or just anything for noise. She might watch part of a music video but other than that she couldn't care less. I turned on the Sprout channel while I was getting ready one morning thinking it would interest her for a few minutes. Oh No, she didn't care and I was a little bored with it myself. But I guess we are doing something right if we don't turn her into a couch potato. Now if we could only get her interested in actual potatoes and other vegetables we might get back some parents of the year points. She loves her carbs and fruit (yeah, that's me too), but put some meat and veggies on her tray and she feeds the dogs.

When we named Willa we weren't trying to give her a different or unique name, we just liked it. But it's almost been a game when we say her name to people. They either say they know a Willa, or "that's different." After she was born a co-worker said there was a children's show with the name which is kind of neat. In the OR when she was born, all the nurse's and doctor's said they had never delivered a Willa which was special I think. A couple co-workers and I always check out the hospital babies for names since one gal needs ideas for her new baby and I was a little disappointed to see another Willa was born this week. It's not like we have a copyright or anything on the name or that I think nobody should use it. I'm not sure what it was.

We have some packing and painting to do this weekend and if B gets home from his class at a good time I hope we can head out to the corn maize sometime.

100, 1,000, 100,000

That's right folks, the Bumblebee has crossed into six digit mileage. When the Bumblebee was purchased on September 12, 2002 there were 12 miles on the odometer. I watched it click over to 100, 1,000 and on Saturday September 25, 2010 witnessed the 100,000 mark. I have been very lucky with my car. Really no problems, and only few repairs scratches and one dent so I have few complaints. When I got pregnant everybody said I would need a new car but nobody was willing to pony up the cash for one. Go figure! I stayed loyal to my Bee and Willa has enjoyed her first year riding in the back seat with no problems what so ever getting in an infant carrier and now the convertible.

Thanks Bumblebee! Maybe one day you will Transform.

365 Days later

One year has passed and I am still in awe that I am a mom. Or maybe it's disbelief, I don't know, but she grows on my heart more each day. It continues to amaze me how much a person develops in the first year of life. It feels just like yesterday that we were bringing her home and just excited for what was to come. It's here now and everyday there is something new that she has learned or trying. She has morphed from a little lump to a walking, chatty cathy.

The birthday party was a lot of fun. She got to see her friends and dig into some cake without remorse. We had visitors from Kansas and Townsend, MT. She was so spoiled with toys, wonderful books, and lots of love. What more could a little girl ask for I am not sure.

Everything didn't quite go according to my perfect little listed plan, but that is ok. I may have overestimated my time, energy, and talent. Lesson learned! Good thing my mom and sister were here to help. I ate way to many sweets in the last four days but I think you have to do that every once in while in order to enjoy life and remember what is important. Five years ago, I couldn't have pictured these moments if I had tried, and now I can't imagine not having them. Our little family is probably complete, which is good, because I don't think you can improve on perfection.

Busy, Busy, Busy

I might be crazy I decided. Who in their right mind hosts bunco and 1st birthday party within three days of each other along with having overnight company. Yeah, that's me. I think I have about 5 lists going, at least 50 cakes to make (ok, not 50, but I have a lot to do). Plus, I have to find subs for the bunco group. None-the-less, I am excited but crazy.

So the Grammy and the Rudy arrived last night and Willa was a little skeptical at first. Despite web-camming all the time it had been a while since she has seen them. They provided food and she was won over shortly.

She has been more chatty lately and told one of the daycare ladies NO when she needed he diaper changed. Of course she has never said that to her Mom because she is such a good little girl and minds her mom. :) Otherwise, she is her same busy self.

The work-spouse and I created another cake. We didn't know this person so we were a little nervous. It was the first time a cake was predominately fondant and my hands paid for it the next day. I rolled and rolled and rolled fondant it seemed like all day. But it turned out wonderful and she wants us to do a few more, and we had a few more requests.

But pictures to come of all the fun this weekend.

A Laborous Weekend

So I took Friday off to get the bathroom painted, plus DirecTV was being reinstalled. We began the morning taking the Kid to daycare and finishing tidying up the house. Next I battled Tricare for like the 5th time in a week trying to figure out why my faxes were going into NeverEverland. Finally got a chick that got the problem solved and semi-officially we are re-insured. So another trip back across town to the office to try a new fax. I say semi-officially because I am still not seeing it online. Though I must give props to their customer service because each time I called they sincerely seemed to be trying to figure out the problem and answer all my questions.

Next B tackled the dismantling of a few bathroom fixtures. This led to us realizing we needed a few more supplies. So off to ACE I go where I even found a few extra things, including a shamrock cookie cutter for our sweet baby bum cake coming up. We puttied and textured sprayed and I finally got to paint. Usually I am a terrible painter, which my dad will attest to, but I think I did a pretty good job keeping my mistakes to a minimum. I took my time, used my edger, wiped up drips and wound up with a blue bathroom.

Saturday I broke out the laser level and drill gun to hang the towel rack and my pictures. Cheapo laser level rocks! I have officially decided I am semi-handy to have around the house.

Sunday brought more rain and still no stained deck. Our little chick did not appreciate having to sit and be quiet during Mass. It was really a sad thing too, since we were trying a new church. We really liked it but we might have to try a different Mass since we were by far the youngest people there at 8:30. They glared at our pretty little lady for being loud.

We broke out some yard work on Monday trying to finish up the tree business. B knocked down the rest of the swing set. It was so rotted he basically just pushed it over. I moved roughly 20 wheelbarrows full of wood chips into all the flower beds in the back. It is so amazing how much the yard has changed since cutting most of the tree down and the neighbor moving his camper to the other side of his yard. It feels like we can see so much more. We have a few more stumps to get rid of and some more chips to move the front flower beds and we are in business.

It was so nice having 4 days off. We watched football, played, made a trip to Wally World, organized the office a little bit and planned for Willa's birthday party. I think I finally decided on the cake designs and menu....just need to figure out what I want to do for favors and buy the rest of the supplies. Most things can't be done too far in advance so it feels like I just keep adding to my list of things we still need to get.

Tonight we learned not only can she take things apart or out of their container, but that she can put them back in. Her and B played with her tub of dinosaurs and she had great fun taking them in and out. She also tried to chug the bucket of dinos, which was hilarious! Hopefully we will expand on her cleaning up skills and she can help put away the massive amount of toys she drags out every night.

But I leave with these sweet shots; me being chased by her, and Bosco deciding that if the changing pad is going to be on the floor he is going to use it as a pillow.

September has arrived

I am not even sure where I want to go in this post as we have had a sort of eventful week.

Sunday we headed off to Mass and while there was some crying and whining it didn't go so bad. She did however smack herself in the face with her sippy cup so it could have gone better. Sunday also brought sickness, of the doggy variety. Poor Bosco was throwing up all day and we couldn't figure out what was wrong. Finally on Tuesday it dawned on us. Our dear child was inadvertently trying to kill him. She loves to share her food with the dogs, usually making a game out of it. She had been feeding him her raisins!! We knew grapes were bad but never translated it on down the line to raisins. We stopped that little game and he seems to be feeling better.

Wednesday brought some interesting news for our little felon. Apparently, our daycare ladies feel she has been saying a four-letter word that rhymes with sit. We think she is probably trying to say sit, as she hears that all the time. Never in the history of our daycare have they ever had this problem in the nursery and they are not sure how to deal with it. They even think she has taught it to another kid. I was embarrassed beyond belief especially since there are not very many words she says consistently. I mean, really, she only says Mom when she is desperate to get her way. None-the-less we are really trying to watch what we say around her as we know we are no angels and have probably slipped in her presence. So if you are keeping track, so far, before the ripe old age of 1 we have a bully, a walker, a potty mouth and an attempted murderer. :) We love her anyway, all her sass and toothy smiles put together.

We can also add to her list of words besides the bad one. Dad, dog, mom, tickle tickle tickle, and EIEIO.

I got into the mail a special craft project for a little girl back East. Hopefully she likes it as much as we enjoyed making it. It only took me three times to find a box to ship it. We also got the invites in the mail for a 1st birthday party. It just doesn't seem possible that she is going to be 1 in a few weeks.

B and I both have a 4 day weekend since I finally got to take a vacation day. I finally feel like I am making some headway on the audits I am working on and it is just in time too. I was out doing fieldwork again today and it went so well that I am probably jinxing the wrap up by gloating.

We plan on painting the spare bathroom tomorrow. I would really like to replace a few other things in there but not sure we should undertake that right now as we get ready for the new windows, Bunco, and the birthday party.

But Happy Holiday weekend to you. If you hung with the rambling you deserve the days off. I had planned on talking about my love of Fall this week, so maybe I will save that for the weekend.

Thankful Thursday

So I will do a full blog post as soon as I am not falling into bed at 9:30 one night. Believe me when I say we had an eventful week. Until then....

I am thankful:

For my brother and sister, how we can bash on each other one minute, and figuring out our problems the next. Though if they buy my kid a 4-wheeler I might reconsider.
For college football starting this weekend. I have missed it.
For a little girl that now says E-I-E-I-O and a few other words.
For a vacation day on Friday! Whoo-hoo
For figuring out a craft project, even though it was a fail, I know it will rock the next time. Even the hubby thought it was cool.
&
For my B, who finally appreciates my crafts.

Whoops!

So this morning The Kid and I were going about our business getting ready for the day when it happened. I was buckling her into her car seat and I clipped her lip in the chest belt. I knew something happened when it clicked but until she started screaming bloody murder did I know what I did. Her poor little lip bled a little and I felt so bad. She was happy to play with some toys on our ride to daycare so I don't think I scarred her for life.

Ironically, her dad did the exact same thing when he picked her up from daycare! It was just not her day.

The daycare's latest newsletter came out and any child over the age of one needs supplies for the upcoming "school" year. I have to find out if she qualifies since she turns one in THREE WEEKS!!! I just can't believe it. It feels like yesterday that we were just bringing her home. It is incredible how fast this year has gone and it just amazes me how quickly these little ones develop and grow, that in the grand schemes of things, is really such a short amount of time. I feel like these last six years have just flown by me.

I was thinking about high school this morning as I got ready for work and couldn't decide if I missed it or not. I am leaning more towards not. At least until I went to pay bills tonight. That part of life is depressing, but such it is and it is a part of being in society. Still no fun to see it going out.

Pure craziness is what life is, but I am not sure I would have it any other way. At least today anyway.

Some household TLC

Starting on Wednesday, B power washed our decks to get ready for some much needed staining. We talked about it last year and in making our "goal" list at the beginning of the summer it was up towards the top. Funnily enough, of the 3 things on our list they are all in semi-completion. The tree got cut part of the way down and it seems we are going to be getting rid of the wood soon. The windows are ordered and should be installed sometime in September. So finally, it seemed like it was the decks turn.

Saturday morning TK cooperated and took her morning nap at like 9. I say cooperated even though she got up at 6:11 after sleeping in all during the work week. But it worked because we both jumped in and started staining the back deck after I took the dogs to daycare. Neither of us have ever stained anything but our clothing, so we turned to the trusty interwebz to find out what to do. Ok, so really I did in my anal, accountant ways, but whatevs, it works. Me, being the semi-liberal that I am, slathered the deck in stain until about the last 1/4 of it. You can totally see when I became a conservative. So we have a little touching up to do, but for the most part we like it. The color wasn't quite what we pictured but it will have to work. Our new fire pit looks nice on it at least.

So we wouldn't have to climb out windows we decided to do the front on Sunday. The rain gods had other plans. Forecasts called for scattered showers all day but until 5:00 we hadn't seen a drop of rain and then the flood gates opened. Luckily, we decided to wait and I picked up the puppies before the storm hit.

Since we didn't get that project completed we worked in the kitchen most of the day organizing and cleaning. We also made some granola which is absolutely devine. I have made it before but tweaked the recipe a little and B added his own concoction to his half. I attempted a homemade Gatorade, but if I try it again I might have to tweak it too. It wasn't bad though, it tasted sort of like a Gatorade wannabe. I attempted hush puppies as well using a mix, but my frying skills need some work. We couldn't get our oil to a good temperature so only some of them were edible. But I think I will try it again the next time we get groceries.

Our little girl is getting so big I just can't believe it. She pretty much walked all over the place today. Not just steps, but laps around the living room. She is getting pretty good and if she could master standing up without an object, she would probably give up crawling. It is so funny and she is so proud of her new skill. We aren't sure but it is possible she is teething again. I was hoping for a break but B said if they all want to come in at once he will take it.

All in all it was a pretty good weekend. Hope yours was as well.

A Crafting Craze

So I have finally taken and uploaded a few pictures of things I have worked on lately. One that I am totally in love with, is the bow holder for TK's (The Kid) room. I love the little stripes and finally getting to see what bows she has. I have made a few duplicates because I have forgotten what I have already made.

Remember my awesome $20 MP3 player? It needed some love instead of being tossed around in my purse, so I used the leftover bow holder fabric to make a little pouch. I don't think it's "technically right" in the real sewing world, but it's going to get the job done.

A few weekends ago, I made myself a crochet hat to match one I made long before I was pregnant. I had this sparkly yarn that I couldn't figure out what to use it for, threw them together and voila! I think we are totally cute and almost can't wait (summer hasn't been here long enough yet) for it to cool off so we can rock the hats.

Golf Cake

The work-spouse and I used one of our last half-day Fridays to create this for our co-workers new husband. Quite frankly, this one was tougher than the cheeseburger cake because we had to actually be creative! We learned a few things on this cake and I got to break out my marshmallow fondant, which I think the "water" turned out pretty awesome. Mandi did the carving and piping and she is getting so good at it. We only used two cakes on this one and really tried to make it look like the terrain on a golf course. We have another order for a baby bottom cake in September, the weekend before the Kid's b-day so we are going to be in all out cake mode.

The cake was a hit, and we had fun doing it. If we were to do another one like this, there are things we would change, but we think it looked in the end. I don't have the final pictures because Mandi tweaked things a little after I left. We just hope it tastes as good as it looked.

Catching up

Well, the trip to Missoula didn't go to bad. She only cried the last 30 miles until we broke out the laptop and turned on some Lady A. I keep telling you it's her drug. She was ready to party once we got to the hotel after being cooped up in the car. It rained most of the night and morning and the prospect of a beautiful picnic was going down the drain. Which is precisely what happened at last years picnic when the skies opened and dumped gallons of water on us.

Luckily for all of us, the skies cleared and we enjoyed a lovely day of water gun fights, a balloon toss, Famous Dave's BBQ and a pinata for the kiddos. I was in charge of this and as the kids were pulling the ribbons the bull was decapitated. I was mortified but the kids sure enjoyed the candy. We left right around nap time and she slept most of the way home with only a short intervention courtesy of....Lady A!

I forgot to mention last week one of the best $20 I have ever spent. I finally joined the real world and bought an MP3 player. It doubles as a radio and since I am out of the office, I don't have to sit in silence by myself anymore. I love it and need a free night so I can craft a cute little coozie for as I carry it around in my bag.

My work spouse and I have another cake order to do this weekend and got another call today to do a baby shower cake in September. We are very excited to see how they turn out and hope everyone likes them.

I booked my flight for the wedding in October and I know I have much to do before it gets here. It seems like the days just keep flying by.

The Kid is taking steps like nobody's business. We are pretty sure any day now that crawling will be a thing of the past. Friday night two more top teeth broke through so we are finally back to quiet nights now that she is not in pain. If you are keeping count, that is 4 on top and 2 on bottom. I love her little smile now that she has teeth, she likes to show them off.

Whatta Wednesday

Well, I guess it really started on Tuesday.....

I took my ill-fitting bridesmaid dress to get altered and at first was told just to order a new dress. Not just one size up, put 4. Luckily she changed her mind, and for me being short finally came in handy. With the amount that has to be hemmed, she thinks she will be able to add inches to the bust. Also a first for me....fitting the top is usually not a problem. Then it continued....

So I finally got the part I needed for my new sewing machine and I got the office all cleaned up, organized, and ready to get started. I was halfway down my first row and broke the needle and possibly busted the new piece. Hopefully, I just need somebody that knows what they are doing to rectify my mistake.

Wednesday brought us another demotion in my bid for mother of the year (MOY). Totally forgot it was picture day at daycare. Because of the Kid's general kid messiness, lately I have slacked in the her always being at the top of her fashion game. Today was one of those days and she was her usual wild-haired woman. Of course she had no spare clothes in her cubby (another MOY deduction). It used to be I had to go get clothes out of her cubby because they seemed to stockpile in there and then I would be looking for her cute outfits. I also forgot that today was the end of summer party. Thought that was tomorrow. Later on, I find out there are picture packets in which I was supposed to prepay for what I wanted. How do two parents miss out on this information I ask you? I am not sure yet. They let me know at the party that her picture coincided with her nap time so she was pretty out of it when it was her turn. So all my running around and shelling out of money might be for a crap-tastic photo.

I did make it to the party and had to deal with death stares from my child because I wouldn't let her have a drink of my root beer float. She might have given me another deduction for that but I thought it was merit worthy.

One bright side to the day was I finished one of the 20 audits we have to get done. I am hoping to be done with fieldwork on the other train wreck of an audit next week, so that maybe I can take a few days to recuperate and get ready for the marathon of audits that are coming up. I have one review to get done, another audit to get started, and possibly another to schedule so we will see if those vacation days come to fruition.

We are heading off to Zoo town tomorrow to attend the company picnic on Friday. It will be our longest driving trip with an infant and B is confident it isn't going to go well. I remain optimistic, especially since we are now going the night before. It's his last weekend of softball and for the first time I have to say I am glad. I would like to say it will be nice to have him home during the week, but he starts school again and has a few night classes. That I can probably handle, but we will be readjusting our routines again and I might prop myself up on my matrydom pedastal of semi-single parenthood. I will probably end of feeling sorry for him though, since he will be working early in the morning until he goes to class until late. When he is going to get his homework done is anyone's guess.

I remember the days when I went to class in the morning, worked until 5-6 and then went to tax class until 9. It's a workout in many respects.

Car Seat "Mat"

I was going to write about being a judgey parent last night, but decided that was counter-productive and after a long week, just not worth it. I have to get an audit finished this weekend and we have a long honey-do list around here so there is no need to be negative.

Tonight, I was able to get a quick craft project in and I am so excited about how it turned out. Once the Kid wakes up and I have some good light I will post a picture of it. However, I bring to you my promise of the Car Seat "Mat"

I didn't take a picture of it installed in the car, but I got a shot of it with our spare seat.

Don't mind our wild haired woman, she was checking out her new toy. B laughed, but I have noticed he drops toys into the pockets for easy access when we are buckling her in. She hasn't spilled anything yet, but I am sure the towel on the backside will come in handy.

But a Happy Weekend to you.

Sunrise and Sunsets

I am more of a sunset kind of girl, mostly because I hate morning. HATE morning with a passion really. So this morning when the teething monster reared its ugly face, I was not pleased and neither was our child. Two hours later we snagged 45 minutes of zzzz's only to race out the door a few, er several, minutes late. I can't wait for this tooth to break through to have my happy, eating well, sleeping well kid back.

However, I got 3 cherries in my cherry limeade at lunch which almost makes up for the rotten morning.

Pasta and a bruise

I am pretty sure a semi-black eye at 10 months old is not going to win me any mother of the year awards, but what can you do. She was playing so good in her room by herself and I was just letting her do her thing. One of the convertible car seats is in there and she whacked herself with a metal buckle. Nothing to bad, but probably something I should have baby-proofed. But she really has started being more independent during play time. She just goes into her room or corner in the living room and plays away. She used to only do this when it was time for bed.

Tonight we shared some garlic shells and alfredo and I am pretty sure it is her favorite meal. She ate almost as much as I did. It was pretty funny watching her too. She would stick her finger on the shell so it would stick and then put her finger in her mouth. Pretty good coordination if I do say so myself. Anything that wouldn't stick she tried to shove in her mouth, though several pieces fell onto her shirt or down to the patiently waiting dogs.

Sleeping has turned into another battle, which usually takes place around 3 am. I think she has another tooth coming in and the poor girl is in pain. She slept in until 7:30 this morning and was not happy to be woken up. Don't blame the girl, I am definitely not a morning person either.

It's Shark Week on Discovery which means our DVR is working in full force! So far of the two I have watched one guy drove me nuts. Interesting topic, horrible host.

I am so ready to start making Christmas gifts and I have so many ideas. Now I just need to go buy materials and find some quality time to put it all together. Hopefully everyone likes what I have in mind.

Weekend Fun

We had some firsts this weekend. The Kid and I finally got to watch B play softball on Saturday. She also took her first real steps that I have witnessed. These weren't her regular take a step and fall the rest of them. She actually stayed balanced and took 4 steps into my arms. Somebody commented that it was only appropriate that they were taken at the ball field.

She also went to her first state fair. We weren't there very long, but packed in a petty zoo, sheep, cloggers, dinosaurs, and lots of fair food She particularly liked the kangaroo, the pot-bellied pig, and a cow. We thought the zebra was pretty cool ourselves. We saw a green lamb in the livestock barn and had some ice cream there. We walked through the animatronic dinosaur exhibit that was nowhere worth the $5 each we paid to see it, but it was sort of neat. Twisted lemonade was some of the best lemonade I maybe have ever had. Sadly, unlike the Kansas state fair, they don't have grilled corn on the cob or root beer stands. But we had a good time and wore the child out. She fell asleep on our way home and even stayed asleep as we took her out of the car seat.

Much to get done before going back to work tomorrow around the house and for the office. I shouldn't have slacked on Friday. I always pay for my procrastination. Whoops.

Moylan Mayhem at it's finest

So I returned from Auditor only CPE only a little tired and family that loves to make fun of me when I have been out and about. It's been a while since I have been out and about and despite thinking I am pretty young, I am pretty old! I could not believe how aggressive people are. (And I totally just did the aggressive cheer in my head to spell it---B-E AGG-RE-SS-IVE!). Our group was a mix of guys & gals

Saturday we ventured out to the Farmer's Market. Taking your husband to farmer's market is not recommended. I always remember as soon as we go shopping why I don't enjoy shopping with him. I forget because I like for us to do things together, but I always feel rushed. But we got some kettle corn and a porkie on a stick. Saw some crafts that I could/can make (maybe even better if I do say so myself), contemplated one day having my own booth, and then wondered how much people actually sell.

The rest of the day was spent lounging around. We were supposed to go boating but our friends backed out on us and we didn't want to get the boat out by ourselves. Mostly because I am not proficient in driving either the boat or backing the trailer.

Today I ventured into cleaning the coat closet and going through B's clothes. Not an easy task trying to remove things from a pack rat. I mean really, he is motivated to hoard by watching the show. He also bought a new TV for our bedroom as a reward for being gone 4 months. I don't blame him.

We also shampooed the living room carpet. The last time we did it I was in labor and we have been meaning to do it for over a month. Finally today mission complete. I also got about an hour to fix a pair of pants where a seam came loose and created carseat spill mat.

I saw one on babyhalfoff.com and thought that is such a good idea. I know my dad would love them as he is a huge fan of seat and floor board protectors. So a little eye-balling, my first attempt at pockets on an object, voila! carseat mat. I will post some pics as soon as I have installed it in B's truck. He wasn't as impressed by my craftiness, but the pattern is baseball inspired just for him. I have seen so many projects I want to make lately now that I am following some more crafty bloggers and some are getting ready for Christmas. I almost want to vacation just to craft for a week.

However, we have over 20 audits to get done by the end of the year and not very many auditors. Not thinking I am going to get much vacation.

The Kid is a rock star this week. She can stand all on her own and without assistance! It is so funny. She is kind of trying to take steps but they are more like falls. But she is so happy about it, you couldn't ask for more. She keeps trying more foods and is such a good eater. She had her first buffalo wing the other night and likes to share apples with her dad. Doesn't seem like she is a fan of my cooking, and I am trying not to let it bother me.

We have a semi-busy week coming up, so stay tuned.

Thankful Thursday/Friday

I see many bloggers do this and I think it's neat:

I am thankful for:

A husband that is fully capable of being a parent

A happy, healthy, funny daughter

Kick ass co-workers to travel with

Awesome firm co-workers that will have a good time with you.

Happy weekend!

10 months and 2 baths later....

...it happened. Our first, the poopsplosion of epic proportions. I have heard of them, felt bad for the parents and silently thought, Thank God that hasn't happened to us. Don't get me wrong, she had a few blowouts, stained a few outfits but mostly it was contained. But tonight as we celebrated her 10 months in the world, after chatting with Grammy and Grampy, I was christened with arms full of poo.

It did not go well. I realized it was all over me and beckoned for help. We shimmied the jammies off of her and B gave her her second bath of the evening. She was not happy, I was squirming from the poo. Not something I want to relive, but after getting new jammies and a bottle she settled into sleep.

I only have one thing to say before I head to bed after dealing with what the hubby has called the Crisis, ICK!

I feel like Chef Duff

People were posing with our cake at the wedding!!!!!!!!!!!

We had so much fun making it and may have a few other requests coming for some party cakes. Who knew two little accountants could be creative?

In Kid news.......she can stand on her own for about 10 seconds and loves walking around with her Dora car or holding my hands. She even said Mom today!

Whoop Whoop for fun Saturdays that start out in CPR class.

Craziness

It seems like we have been going non-stop since the last post with no sign of slowing down. It just blows my mind how quickly days, weeks, and months fly by. Shoot, the Kid is going to be 10 months old next week!!!!! It feels just like yesterday I was whining, waiting for the pregnancy to be over.


But in the lives of babies, things can change very quickly. 4 teeth, crawling, walking with her Dora car, and she has pretty much decided she hates purees. The walking bit is the newest feat and probably the most fun too. She has also decided the dogs make pretty good wrestling partners and proceeds to rotate which one she is beating up each day. They are pretty good sports about it and only occasionally try to run away from her. Too bad for them, she is a lot quicker than she used to be and can get to them with little problems. Dinner time has changed a little around here, a little more thinking is involved.

We have been to a few more baseball games and she does really well. Orbit is a big hit with the kiddos and she claps when she sees him. She fell asleep during the fireworks on the 4th, woke up, watched for a few minutes, rolled over and went back to sleep. We couldn't ask for anything better I don't think.

Unfortunately, with so much rain since May we haven't been able to take the boat out. The river is just high and fast. Sadly, the Missouri has taken some lives in the last few days and there is just no point risking it. Thankfully, it has stopped raining and we have had some nice weather.

The Kid and I went to her first pig show today and let me tell you Kansas folk, your pigs are safe. Showing is a completely different game here. It shocked me, I have never seen a Hog Jogger before. The poor judge even commented on the quality of the piggies, sadness. She did very well watching the show, mostly playing in the bleachers and people watching.

Tree Business

An eventful weekend at the Moylan Ranch. The massive tree in our background lost 3/4 of it's limbs and The Kid got to see her Grampy. The other 1/4 of the tree would have lost it's height except for the neighbor was being a pain. Instead of moving their camper so we wouldn't have to rope out several limbs, they sat on their porch and drank beer. In place of their precious car in the garage they put another. I am disappointed about the whole situation, but the guys did a great job with what we were able to accomplish.

We took the men sight seeing to see the Falls, a baseball game, and some fishing. It was a whirlwind weekend, but fun. We were exhausted and thankfully the Kid cooperated and slept pretty well all weekend.

The Kid has decided she is anti-puree and is now completely on big people food. Now we really have to cook around here. B does most of the cooking, but now we are adapting to baby friendly foods. We did discover we love Sweet Potato fries from Goode's, so now I need to figure out how to recreate them

We had her 9 month well check today. She weighed 19lbs but we couldn't get an accurate length. Oh well, I know she is growing because her pants are all capris now. Her hair is starting to curl a little bit which is way too cute.

Hello Husband! Thanks for reading.

News, News, and more News

So many exciting things I don't even know where to start. So I am just going throw up all over you as they pop out of my head.

B is home. I am not.
I golfed on Friday. Not well, but we placed 3rd in our flight.
That 4th tooth popped through and Kid is much happier.
The Big 12 is staying together!!
I made marshmallow fondant this weekend. It was easy, fun, and tasted pretty yummy.

B beat us home on Friday due to the marathon of a golf tournament, so the Kid was a little groggy from her catnap, but very excited to see him. We spent most of the weekend doing yard work, getting groceries, doing laundry and giving B a crash course in her routine. Nothing like being a bachelor for 4 months and then becoming a single-parent for 4 days. I only feel a little sorry for him.

On the previous TDY's and from doing two stints in "the field" we have learned it always takes some time to adjust to being back together. Thankfully, I have learned that we both do things a little differently and as long as we follow the guidelines, it doesn't matter how things get done. But it is tough when I am used to doing things my way and at my pace. It will be really interesting when I get back on Thursday and try to jump back into the swing of things. I am pretty sure "Daddy's rules" will be in place.

The dogs are her new jungle gym and while they were happy to humor her for a few days they have quickly grown tired of it. They give me the save me look and try to move to safer ground. Her tooth must have came in days after the first top one because I noticed during one of her laughing sessions. We still have a ways to go for the rest, but hopefully we get a little break before the next one.

I made the cake from the previous post on Saturday as well, and had quite a bit of fun. Marshmallow fondant is pretty tasty and my buttercream frosting didn't turn out to bad either. If anybody wants to try it, let me know and I will send over my tips. I might even attempt to make the Kid's first birthday cake when the time rolls around.

But I am off in Billings for a few more days and we intend to eat at all the spots we don't normally get. Johnny Carinos and Texas Roadhouse (which funnily, started in Indiana) were the first off our list.

Have a great week.

Celebrate Good Times

Husband home, a break from the Kid, fun fondant time ensues. Not bad for a 1st try.

Newness

We have a new tooth! A top tooth broke through I think one night ago. I say one night ago because last night she slept through the night. The previous 2-3....weeks worth of nights she would wake up around two and would be inconsolable. I was to my breaking point. Of course, last night I had a hard time going to sleep.

B will be coming home and we will be in an adjustment phase for a while. We have been through this before, but never with a child. Hopefully all goes smoothly. I have totally slacked in getting ready for him to arrive. I know he is bringing laundry and while mine is caught up I really need to do dishes and get some more groceries.

I have been feeling crafty/creative lately. I hope to have some pictures to share soon on a few things I have been planning.

The Kids

My Kid is cruising along anything she can pull herself up on and the real Kid retired. My favored Ken Griffey, Jr. retired and I didn't get a chance to see him play again. I told B last summer that we should take a trip to Seattle to watch a game, but the pregnancy police did not allow that.

The little cruiser though has been cracking me up. She laughs all the time, yells at her toys, tackles the dogs and is always on the lookout for a cell phone or remote. She has been trying all sorts of table food and for the most part likes everything. Usually she wants whatever I am having and strains her neck to see what is up. Cheerios are a new favorite.

We are down to last week of being bachelorette and are very excited. The rain won't stop around here, but it did let up enough for me to mow over the weekend. Still haven't made it to the golf course, but surprisingly its ok since I am a fair weather golfer.

Since it was raining on Friday, I went a movie. It's the second time I have gone to a movie by myself. First was the Dark Knight and this time Iron Man 2. Weird choices for a chick, right? Oh well, it was really good.

Until next time.

Moving on Up (or down I mean)

After a few weeks of using me as a jungle gym, the Kid decided to show off her skills by showing me how she can pull herself up to her knees in her crib. Today she followed up by standing all the way! B lowered the crib once before he left, so tonight I set out to conquer and lower the crib myself. I lowered it one "rung" and she was still almost over the top, so I had to go all the way to to the bottom with the crib. Which is not so good for the mommy who is all of 5'2". I have to stand all the way on my tip toes to lay her down. Lucky for me she can pull herself up now.

Our fun going to bed routine is out of whack again and it can be a real party trying to get her down for the night. Usually though, once she is all the way out she stays that way until 5:30-6:30 in the AM at which point she drinks half a bottle and sleeps for another hour. The dogs, not so much. They want out and they want breakfast too. Their jingle jangles are loud so I have been shutting the gate to keep them on my side of the house in the mornings. So they have been coming back to bed too.

We start our half-day Fridays at the office this week for the summer and I am pretty excited about it. If the weather holds, I will be golfing for the first time this year at roughly 12:30 and we are having a blue jean to go with it. The weather continues to be crazy, won't pick a season but knock on wood, we haven't seen any S---.

But off to bed since I think my little party-er (sp?) finally gave up.

Oh, and still only the bottom two teeth, though I think the next one is causing some of the sleep issues.

Whirlwind Weekend

So much to do and so little time. We had an eventful Friday. The Kid got to go to Bunco since our babysitting plans fell through. She did great, loved the lasanga, and I won for most wins!

Saturday brought us what I had been dreading. Having to mow the yard. I think it was the 2nd or 3rd time I have had to push mow. Not a big fan. Of course, then both neighbors mowed their yards and mine still looks like a jungle. I also started deep-cleaning around the house. My way of cleaning is interesting to me, now that I realize what I am doing. As I go to put things away, if that room hasn't been cleaned yet, I just make a pile. This means that the last room to be cleaned is the worst. In this case, my office needs some work. Luckily, it's mosting just clutter and filing that needs to be done.

Watching the hoarding shows, usually kicks my butt into gear to get things done. B is totally a pack rat and I can recognize when I am holding on to things to long, which usually results in a power struggle to let things go. There are so many things in the garage and storage shed that should go down the road, but haven't yet. My big problem is I get things boxed and sacked up to take for donation and then they sit in the garage because I don't want to make lots of little trips. I am determined though, to get several of the boxes out of the garage before B gets back.

After some grocery shopping today, I finished up the dining room, packing up my sewing projects for a little while. We are expecting guests this week, so I figured we might want to use the table. But it was gorgeous this weekend, so we opened the windows and turned on the fans. It was such a welcome after all the cold weather and snow we have had.

The little mover and shaker has discovered the fireplace! She pulls herself up on the step and literally does push-ups on it. I have blocked it off with random items until I can find something better, but she just tries to push it all out of the way. She is so Ornery! She heads that way and then waits for me to say something to her before she keeps going. She is so proud of herself being able to pull up on it. I need to find some boxes or something for her to practice on before she knocks out some teeth.

Back to the grindstone tomorrow, but hopefully I will get some things finished up. I think all of us are looking forward to our half-day Fridays that will be starting soon. I am ready to hit the golf course and this weather if finally cooperating. Now just need to work out the time aspect.