Budding Ar-teest?

Grace has REALLY been into coloring and drawing lately. For awhile, she would request us to draw things - i.e. a cat or a bird or a fish and she would just watch. Court and I did our best to oblige.

Obviously sick of our stick figures, she decided to take things into her own hands - literally.

Behold.

If you are wondering what they are - don't worry, we did too - they are ghosts.

Mommy ghosts. Baby ghosts. Daddy ghosts.

An entire family of ghosts.

No idea where this came from!

Now if we could only figure out if she is left-handed or right-handed. She switches back and forth pretty consistently...but I am putting my money on her being a southpaw. Stay tuned!

A Day for Our Record Books

Warning: I am about to bore you with milestones of my children. There, you've been warned. Now you've got no one else to blame but yourself if you keep reading.

Yesterday was a BIG day. A HUGE day! Lots of milestones and all on Charlotte's 8 month birthday!

1. Charlotte stood, unassisted, for a five count. One...Mississippi...Two...Mississippi...you get why that is a milestone for an 8 month old.

2. Charlotte slept THROUGH THE NIGHT for the second night in a row. In bed at 8 pm (thanks to Dad's magical ways!) and slept soundly until 4:30 am which for the record is a tad bit earlier than I'd like to be awake but since I am up at 5 am anyway, I think it counts! PLUS, I give her a bottle and she goes back to sleep until about 7 am. AWESOME! Guess who has time to straighten their in the mornings now?! This gal!!

3. I saved the biggest and best for last! Grace used the potty - successfully - for the very first time ever. She's had a potty for almost a year! We've talked about it. Read books about it. Sat on it. Bribed her to use it. She wanted nothing to do with it.

Enter Elmo's Potty Time Video! Probably the single most annoying thing I have ever sat through but probably the best $5 I've ever spent at Target. After watching it in the car for the umpteenth time, I decided to just sit Grace down on the potty whether she wanted to or not. She fought it. She whined. And then I said these magical words: "Elmo sits on the potty!" BOOM DYN-O-MITE! Success! (Oh yeah, and I bribed her with two M&Ms!)

After using the potty she wiped, flushed and washed her hands. We danced and high-fived. We ran to tell Daddy and Charlotte the good news and then Grace got her M&Ms. She then dragged me back into the bathroom where another successful visit to the potty was had and the entire process was repeated. Yes, even the M&Ms. She is quite crafty!

Today, we've had two more successful trips to the potty - and the day ain't over yet - but she still insists on wearing on a diaper. No pull-ups. No training pants. No underpants. So the potty hasn't been visited as often as it could of been but hey I am not complaining. I am just in jaw-dropping disbelief that I have a child who can use a potty. 

Ohhh Appy Day!

I am obsessed with technology and gadgets. Obsessed. So today, when I dashed into Petco for just a few necessities and it took longer for me to whip out my Petco club card than to track down the items I was purchasing, I announced to the sales person that they need to invent something so that you don't have to carry around all those blasted plastic cards for each and every store you go into.

This is just a fraction of the cards I carry around EVERY DAY in my purse! 

A fraction people!

Now as I was saying this, I realized I may have stumbled upon a million dollar idea - a game changer - strike that - a LIFE CHANGER - if you will. A wallet and purse free of club cards!!

Imagine a world where your bag wasn't so darn heavy, your neck and shoulders wouldn't ache alllll the time and you could actually find things in your bag at a moments notice!! I mean with this kind of technology a woman could actually use a purse for it's intended use - to look wicked awesome and make other women envious! No more time worrying about whether or not it is practical!! (Are the clouds parting where you are?!)

Thinking the teenager behind the counter was going to be just as excited about the possibilities of my invention, she said, "They do. It's an app on your iPhone."

WHAT? A game-changer app that I don't know about!?!?

She whipped out her iPhone 4 and told me it is called Key Ring Rewards. Then she added that it may not work with old phones and gave my iPhone 3GS a quick once over. (Grrrrrr).

Long story short, I found the app on iTunes and just downloaded it. I haven't tried it yet but when I do I will report back if it was a life changing as I had hoped.

Any other life changing apps I need to know about? Or better yet, any completely gorgeous and totally  impractical handbags I can't live without? 

Last Hurrah

This weekend is Memorial Day which to most signifies the beginning of summer. Vacations, warm weather, BBQs and lots of outdoor fun. For us, Memorial Day marks the start of the 'busy' season. Long hours on the farm for Court mean long hours for me versus with Grace and Charlotte. In a nutshell, summer is bittersweet.

So to put off thinking about the inevitable, we made one last weekend jaunt to good ole Sun Valley. As Charlotte is getting bigger (8 months old tomorrow!!! How can that be?!?!) and the weather was cooperative, we were able to get outside and take advantage of all that Idaho has to offer!

First up, put-your-face-in-the-hole pictures! Who can resist?

Clearly, Charlotte lacks her father's "enthusiasm!"

A hike with both kids in their respective backpacks.

The hike went so well we thought we'd walk to dinner with them in their backpacks.  All was fine with the kids. I was the weak link by wearing inappropriate shoes. Court had to capture the fact that I walked most of the way - to and fro - barefoot. My Tory Burch flats weren't cutting it. 

(Just one more reason why I need to go shoe shopping at the Nordstrom Half Yearly sale that starts tomorrow!!! wooo hooo!!)

Before dinner, we hit up the bar and the girls found a Marilyn Monroe-esque air vent! It was quite entertaining and it allowed us to throw a few back - not easily accomplished with youngins around.

On our final night, we walked to dinner again. Only this time, we put both girls in the double stroller, I wore sneakers and we made some "roadie sodies"! Perfection!

The girls laughed and giggled the entire way to dinner. It was neat to see them interact. It won't be long until they are telling secrets and stealing sharing each other's clothes. 

Ok summer. We're ready for you...I think.

First Bike Ride of 2011

It is still freezing out. It rained and thundered all weekend. So much so that the nearby rivers are cresting. Not a good weekend to be a farmer...or married to one for that matter. So naturally, I took the girls for a bike ride this morning to mind-over-matter the fact that it isn't any closer to spring than it was 4 weeks ago. 

Grace and Charlotte had the 'easy' task of sitting - together - in the bike trailer with blankets and toys.

It was a bit chilly, my legs were a little rusty, I had to stop three times to help 'keep the peace' in the bike trailer, but all in all, it was a success!!

Farming 101

It rained A LOT last night.

(Definition of A LOT: Aaaa Looooooottttttt)

It thundered too.

A LOT.

When the clouds parted for a few minutes this morning, we took Grace outside. All the rain from the night before ousted the worms in our front yard. A LOT of worms. 

See above definition...there were A LOT of worms!!

I was so thankful they were worms and not snakes.

Anyway, the appearance of SO many worms prompted Grace's first farming lesson.

Poop = fertilizer

Worms poop.

Poop is fertilizer.

Fertilizer grows crops.

Highly sophisticated stuff but she was enthralled - with the worms that is.

She definitely has the makings of a farmer's daughter.

  

In fact, the only thing we could do to get her away from 'worm highway' 

(what we dubbed the 20 foot path of worms along the edge of our grass) 

was fly a kite!

What a weekend! Kites AND worms!!

At bedtime, when I asked her what she wanted to talk about, instead of Snow White, she answered, "WORMS!"

A farmer's daughter indeed.

Inbox Flood

For any subscribers receiving a plethora of posts today, I apologize. For some reason, I decided to scan and edit the blog for any references that might allow a crazy person to track us down. Mission accomplished! Thank you for your patience!

Spring is Springing

I remember growing up in Northern California and it being hot outside on Cinco de Mayo. You could wear shorts, play outside - even go swimming.

Here in Eastern Washington, where we have four seasons, spring is still in the process of springing. (Spring must be as out of shape as me!) We are still bundled up in pants and jackets, rain clouds are still in the forecast and the wind never seems to rest, but all the blooming flowers are making me anxious to get outside, regardless of the elements. On our outing outside today, we discovered Charlotte's tree has blooms!! That makes me happy!

Hope you are enjoying spring wherever you are! 

Gossip Girl

A new twist in Grace's bedtime routine. After Grace has completed her nightly bedtime routine and we think she is working her way to dreamland, we hear a plea from her bedroom: "MOMMY!! BIG HUG!"

It is said with utter urgency so, of course, I oblige.

In the last week, I've had to give her about four or five hugs a night before she will even consider sleep.

Yes, she's getting crafty.

In the last few nights, "big hugs" have turned into "Mommy, lie down."
So I do.
"Mommy, let's talk."
So we do.
"What do you want to talk about?" I ask.
"People," she answers. I smile to myself in the dark. She's gonna make a great college roommate, huh?
"What people should we talk about?"
"Snow White."
Ah yes...it begins.

Silence WAS Bliss

Grace was not one of those kids who started babbling at a young age. In fact at 18 months, she said only a handful of words. Court and I would often sit and wonder what she was thinking about.

Then the floodgates opened and wonder no longer.

Just yesterday she shared this thought with me:  "Mommy has a big tummy."

Let me tell you that knocked the wind right out of my sails. Yes, I'm having a really difficult time losing the weight this time around but for a two year old to notice..?!?!? Boy oh boy it's worse than I thought. UGH!

Toothbrushes for All

Charlotte has been teething for over a month. I thought I was going crazy because she kept knawing on anything and everything yet no new teeth appeared. 

Until today.

Upon hearing the news of a new tooth, Grace got right to work in the big sister department...toothbrushes for all!

Crib Stand

Why is it that the days they make new discoveries are the days you are BEYOND tired and you need them to take their nap more than they need to take their nap?