School Daze

I went back to work on Tuesday. Slowly, we have all adjusted to getting up earlier and having to be somewhere at a certain time. It hasn't been all that bad, but then it is still light out, and still feels new. I know that as the darkness comes, and this "beginning of the school year" feeling wears off, mornings will come hard and fast.....and we will all be grumpy.

Scout and I have agreed to try to eat breakfast every day as a family. We eat dinner ever night together. These meals feel like stolen time away from everything else.....I hope I can get my act together and fix something else beside bagels!

Rules

Last on the way home, Simone wanted to stay up and watch Calliou (her favorite TV show)....and she said...."I watch Calliou." and Scout and I said, "No, it is too late, it is time to get ready for bed."

Simone responded....."No, I watch Calliou. That is the rule."

Robin is bringing sexy back!!!!

Today, I went for a pedicure. I always mean to go every month, but it always is longer, and I always feel bad for the poor girl who has to deal with my feet. Today as she was doing it, I noticed a rather large, black spot on my nail from where I hit my foot last week. Pretty gross. The girl noticed it too, and kind of made a gesture toward it....and I sheepishly smiled since I know I am hard on my feet.....

Well, next thing I know, she is doing THIS to my big toes.....





Kind of flashy...........for a non-flashy girl

Bringing Sexy Back

Today, the whole family went to Costco to pick up a few things. As we were walking in, I look down and notice Scout's choice of footwear......take a look....


Scout loves to rock her socks in some crocs!!!!

New Child Care Situation - The Sequel

Well, clearly the only person having issues with this child care "change" is me (and Scout)!

This morning, we spent about 2 hours at Shirley's house....playing with the kids and with toys....and Mo had a blast. I mean A BLAST! She wasn't afraid, she played with the other kids.....she even went potty there. She had snack, really enjoyed herself.....Shirley was great with her........very nurturing and caring.

Now, I am excited for her to go!!!!

New Child-Care Situation

Today, we are going over to Shirley's house. She is a Llewellyn parent who watches kids in her house. I hear good things about her, and liked her when I first met her. Today is Mo's first day going, and the 2 of us will stay for a while to get her used to the place. She will go on her own next week.

I am happy she will be so close to school. I am happy she will get to meet new friends.....BUT

I am so sad for her going through this transition. She was so happy at Charlie's (her last and only child care setting)....she loved it there, and he took such good care of her. I knew it couldn't last forever, and that any change would be hard......but it is hard to watch her go through that change.....to watch her be unsure about where she is and who she it with. Scout is even nervous about the change.

I know, I know, it is a learning experience).....I just wish it could be easy.....for all of us.

Mo, Mo, Mo

Well, she has been up to some new and interesting tricks....

1. Today, she answered my cell phone.....had a conversation with Uncle Brad and hung up on him.....apparently she told him "Mommy working."

2. Tonight I put her in the cutest blue polka-dotted PJ's and put her to bed, went in to check on her, and she was in a completely different pair of PJs....(back to the baby straight-jacket).

Life's a Beach!

Today was 103 degrees in Portland, so we took off to the Oregon Coast.....it was a balmy 61 degrees there. We went south to Rockaway Beach to avoid the crowds....and boy did we have fun. This is really our first day trip to the beach where it was warm enough to actually hang out on the beach. We put our feet in the extremely frigid water! Mo loved the waves coming and 'catching' her.

Scout did a great job of bringing a kite, and showing Mo how to fly it. She got pretty good!!!



Of course, sand castles were made, and destroyed.....and made.....and destroyed.....

We brought the dogs....they had a great time. I love how this picture turned out. Mo is walking Cricket....and yes, it was really that foggy...

A shout-out to the dogs....who behaved themselves all day. I think they are growing up!

A rare Mama-Daughter portrait.....even rarer is a whole family picture....we have to fix that!

Crafty Mama

Today, the temp went over 100 degrees.......what do you do when it is that hot, and you have no A/C........

ARTS AND CRAFTS....

Here is our 'creation'.....it was a spur of the moment thing....so we used what we had......cotton balls, glue, stickers, and glitter.......what more do you really need?




I think we will title it........Mo's Mystery #1.

My Adorable Ladies

Look, how lucky I am.....

ZZZ Cookbook

I am part of a on-line community that has been together for about 3 years. We all have babies who were born in June of 2006.......they have been a wonderful bunch of ladies who offer support, and laughter.....now, they are offering food.

Check out the ZZZ Cookbook blog. We have compiled some of our favorite foods, and put them in one easy place to share. And, let me tell you.....ZZZ knows food.......

http://zzzcookbook.blogspot.com/

Golf

Scout took up golf about 3 years ago. She plays every chance she gets....I started playing last year. She is good....and I am not as bad as I used to be....which isn't saying much.

We try to go about once a month (together)....but lately, Scout has hooked into the whole "golf while working" network. Twice this month, she got to go play 9 holes with co-workers and a client....which I think is such a fun thing to do with people you work with. I am only half-way jealous.....they play at 6:00 in the morning!!!!

Quarantine

Our house needs to be quarantined......Mo got the sniffles a few days ago.....it turned into a full blown summer cold. Of course, being the lovely daughter that she is....she gave it to us. Scout is laying in bed....and I feel like I have a watermelon for a head. Fun stuff!!!!

I only have a 10 days until I go back to work. This summer had flown by. I have enjoyed every minute with Mo....even the minutes where she was most difficult. I am so lucky to be able to spend every summer with her......I wish it could be more.....sappy, sappy, sappy.

This morning...I dropped Mo off at her little preschool. She walked in, and looked up at her teacher and said "It is good to see me." Gotta love that!

Olympic Underwear

Simone has loved watching the Olympics....she is fascinated by what they are wearing.....

While watching beach volleyball.......Simone loved their uniforms. In fact, she kept repeating over, over, and over....

Underwear.....Underwear....Underwear.....

Cute, Cute, Cute

This is my sweet girl.......I can't believe she is mine....Enjoying roasted corn on the cob.....boy what a mess...

Desperate Times

For those of you without children......you should stop reading now, because you won't want one after this.....

Mo has been "exploring" during naptime. She likes to take off her clothes, and poop in the bed...and see what kind of artistic creations she can make. It is freakin'' frustrating!!!! It has happened almost every day for the past week....this results in a complete clothing change, bed change and sometimes even a bath!

Well, today.....I am OVER it.....so, for naptime....I put her in a pull-up, and then put on her pajamas BACKWARDS.....kind of like a baby straight-jacket.....it is zipped up the back, so she can't get out and .......so far, so good.....she is sleeping and still wearing the contraption.

It may not be my finest mama moment......but, you do what you have to.......

A Face Only A Mother Could Love

Here is my first born child.......his name is Percy Walker Jones.......he looks like a Percy don't you think? He went to the vet yesterday and he has to lose 5 pounds....which is a lot for a dog....and a lot for Percy Jones.....he is not happy with the prospect of reduced calorie food.....are any of us?

Do they make braces for pugs?

The Family Seat

Is it normal to get so excited about a toilet seat? We just ordered and installed the "Family Seat" from One Step Ahead......it has an adult seat and kiddie seat that fits right on top....as one unit...



First of all, whoever invented this thing is BRILLIANT.......I can't tell you what a pain it is to have a potty seat that you have put on/take off for your little one.....doesn't seem like it would be a big deal, but it really is.....

Highlight of the day......toilet seat.......I have to get out more....

Toddler Olympics

For the past month, Mo has been going to "Gym Dandies" at our local community center....basically, gymnastics for 2 years old. What a great way to meet other families in our neighborhood.......

Mo loves going....she loves jumping off things and landing on the mats. She is getting very good at the balance beam, and she is starting to do a mean somersault. She is very coordinated, and is fearless when it comes to climbing, jumping, swinging, etc....

The interesting thing about this class is not what the kids are doing, but what the parents are saying. Mo has always been a very physical kid. The other parents have definitely noticed....When Mo does something another child is not doing yet....this is what we hear....

"Well, she must be older than the other kids..." or "Well, of course she can do that, she's older"......(for the record, she is not.....)

We have heard this more than once, and from almost every parent in the class.

Today, as we walked into class with another family. We said hello and I commented on how cute his red overalls were......their response...."Oh, there's the athlete."

Do they think that she is really 3 and we put her in the 2 year old class as a ringer? Does it make them feel better to make comments like that? I am not sure.....but next time I think I will have to respond....

My kid is better than your kid!!!!!!

Baby High

Today, I got to hold a 4 day old baby. My friend Brenda gave birth last week to a beautiful baby girl. I wanted to visit sooner, but restrained myself to give her family some time to be together. I heard once that holding a baby makes your body produce serotonin. It causes some sort of high. I would have to agree. There is something about a new, fresh baby that makes my spirit a little lighter.

Watching Mo with the baby today melted my heart. She counted the baby's toes and kissed her head. She was fascinated with what the baby was doing......"what doing, mama?" is what I heard most of all.

I want a younger sibling for her....I want her to have that kind of relationship in her life. I had brothers and sisters and I can't imagine Mo not having that same experience.....that kind of connection with someone else. My family is not finished. I have known that for a while. And this week, we have met with our doctor to do another round of fertility treatments. Even though this has always been the plan, our plan, my plan......it scares the bejezzus out of me and what is means in the grand scheme of things......adding another life on this world....adding another person to our little family of three.

The times, they are a'changing.

Blogging Unsupervised

I learned a very important lesson today.....Blog after Bedtime.

While I was futsing around on this blog...figuring out colors, headers, fonts, etc.....this is what my 2 year old was doing....


Lesson learned.