Artist

Every year, Scout and Mo paint birdhouses to go in the backyard. I am not sure how it started, but it is time for this year's creation....

Look at this sweet face....



Also, we had sod laid in the backyard.....it looks so pretty. Will post more pictures when the plants are all in....

Friends, Friends, 1,2,3

Mo has been making friends for ever....she is just very social. But turning three, she is PICKING who she wants to be her friend.... Scout and I have no input at all. It has been interesting.....not knowing some random family, but your child loves their child, and vice versa.....and now all of a sudden, you are getting to know this random family.

We have met some people who have now become our friends....and I am grateful that Mo brought us together.......but I can see the day coming where Mo likes the kid, and we don't like the adults......that will be fun....

We are also smack dab in the 'playdate' schedule. Mo wants to have them....her friends want to have them. They talk about them, make plans for them....and then she gets mad at Mama and Mema when we don't go along with the plans......but overall, the playdates have been wonderful. All the girls we have had over have just been delightful....and they all play so well together.....

just one more new phase to get used to.....

Mo and the twins....

This is her new bestie......We will call her "A" on th blog.....they could be sisters....

Better Bento

Here is the bento from today......it turned out really nice!!! I got some fancy little skewers in the mail with zoo and ocean animals on them....super cute. This picture is much better, as well.


And to be totally honest.....didn't do a bento lunch yesterday....just too much effort....She took mac n cheese leftovers.....

The negotiator

Mo has mastered the fine art of negotiation. I try to let her have choices in many areas of her life....what she wears, what she plays, giving in to the things that it doesn't matter to me.

But some things are non-negotiable....like going to bed, brushing teeth, and eating dinner. But she still tries.....and is sneaky about it too.

Mo: I want a treat.

Me: No, tonight is not a treat night.

Mo: Why?

Me: Because, we had treats last night....we are taking a night off.

Mo: Pretty please, pretty please, pretty please.....cherry on top?

Me: No.

Mo: I will eat even more dinner if I can have a treat.

Me: No.

Mo will then turn on some major puppy dog eyes on Scout. This usually works.

Bento Box Lunch

This weekend, I took this amazing class on making bento lunches for kids. The woman who teaches the class is originally from Japan, and is starting a cooking school to teach people how to cook home style Japanese food.

I learned all sorts of fancy things.....I can turn a hard boiled egg into a bunny, I learned how to make a hot dog into an octopus or a crab. These were the cutsie things....but the thing that really got me going, is trying to find more balance in Mo's lunch. Instead of putting a lot of a just a few things....I am trying to put just a few bites of many different things. To expand her food horizons.

First day, and she ate EVERYTHING in there. Including, food that she normally won't touch.


This bento has.....pan friend tofu squares, edamame and corn skewers, turkey and cheese skewers, cucumber and tomato salad, strawberries, and orange slices. Sorry about the picture quality......cellphone photos are not the best.

So much fun and slightly addictive....I can see a support group in my future.

The trials and tribulations of working moms...

For the most part, we do ok getting up and out of the house in the morning. We have our routine, and it is down to the minute. If anything goes wrong, it sets off a chain reaction that can (and does) get us off schedule. I try to do as much as I can the night before.....we lay out clothes, we make lunches....but sometimes, things happens that just throw a wrench in the whole sha-bang...

Case in point...

1. The other day, after a long day at work and at daycare....we were changing into our PJs and I realized Mo was wearing 2 pairs of underwear.....It took me a minute to figure out what happened, then I remembered rushing to put her clothes on that morning, and just putting her new underwear on without taking off the ones from the night before. Daycare must think I am extra protective of my daughter's private parts.

2. We arrived a daycare a bit late the other day....and I realized I managed to get her in the car, with all her things, except shoes. I had carried her out of the house and put her in the car....and forgot to get her shoes. I wish I could say this was the first time....it has happened before. Poor kid, couldn't go outside to play. Lucky, both were rainy days.

Wake Up Call

The past few weeks, I have noticed that Mo's clothes are way too small for her. All of a sudden, she has just shot up....her pants were seriously 2-3 inches too short. Today, we were at Target, and thought we would pick up a few things.

We kept looking for things her size, and were having a really hard time. Then it dawned on us....we are no longer shopping in the infant/toddler section. We have moved to the other side of the store.....for big girls! Over in that section, we found a ton of stuff her size, but it seemed so old......a bunch of Hannah Montana, and "I love Rock-n- Roll" shirts....no cute cupcake or ladybug shirts.

We are not in Kansas anymore....