Tidbits of Everyday

Things have been busy lately...yet I haven't managed to have a single, huge thing to post about (then again, do I ever, really?). So, I figured I'd just fill you in on a few of the things rattling around in my head.

ps-I've had my camera lens all smudgy and didn't realize it, so if the pictures don't look as crisp as normal, that's why.

First off-yay! yay! yay! I love fall. yay! for fall colors. yay! for fall weather. yay! for fall clothes. Just yay! in general that fall (my favorite season) is finally here in full swing! There, just had to get that off my chest.

The view from our back deck. The leaves are WAY brighter in person (especially if it's not overcast), I promise.

Scarlett is starting to walk. We're up to probably 15-20 steps total. Very exciting, especially as I haven't had a kid walk before a year yet. She is also starting to do very big girl things like trying to put on Georgia's shoes, stealing her bracelets to wear, and using a makeup brush for her cheeks, and not just to chew on (I can just hear the teenage fighting now ;). As I'm preparing for her 1st birthday at the end of the month, I'm gearing up to wean her. I've never voluntarily weaned a baby before (I had to wean Ezra because the doctor needed me dry for a lumpectomy and with Georgia, my milk dried up because of my pregnancy with Scarlett and the allergy diet I was on), so it's a little different this time around. It's just hard for me to realize that Scarlett's really, truly growing up. She's so little (15lbs at the end of September) that I sometimes forget she's as old as she is. Add to that the fact that I'm not pregnant (praises be!), which is kind of unusual because I've never hit a baby's 1st birthday without being in the midst of preparing for another baby. It's just a little strange to have my arms getting a little emptier as the days go by. I'm excited for this little baby break, don't get me wrong, it's just a little odd feeling.

Scarlett trying on one of Georgia's play bracelets

I think it's safe to finally say Georgia is officially pottytrained. After many failed attempts and sullied panties over the last eight months or so (she kept on losing interest after insisting she wanted to wear panties), Georgia's finally decided to stick with it. We still have the occasional accident when she doesn't make it to the potty in time, but when she is completely done, I know that will be it and I won't have to do much to help her. Georgia's very independent, so she insists she goes on her own time-table (no encouragement or insistence from me will get her to go potty when I want her to) and that she goes completely alone [insert eye roll here] and even cleans herself up. Ridiculous, I know, that she's so young and recently trained and is already doing everything by herself. But, I always knew Georgia only does things on Georgia's terms, and I'm just kind of her guide along the way. Oh, and as for a Georgia-specific witticism: she calls me Mamma Mia, which I've just gotta say, is friggin' adorable.

Mmm, isn't she beautiful?

We're getting ready for Ezra's 4th birthday on Friday. He's getting so big it kills me. I can't even believe my baby is so old and independent. He does mostly everything by himself (well, except for cleaning up his toys which he insists is just toooo hard to do by himself :P). Ezra's independent nature is definitely a catch-22. On one hand, it's really nice to have a kid that'll completely dress himself every morning, occasionally make his own breakfast, and entertain himself. On the other hand, Ezra thinks that because he's allowed to be independent, that means he gets to get his own candy down from the top of the fridge without so much as by your leave. The other day Ezra got his own chicken nuggets out of the freezer, put them on a plate, put them in the microwave, and started it for 1 min, 20 sec (which, while too long, wasn't all that off of what it should've been). I still haven't figured out if that was a good thing or not. Not to mention his utter refusal to wear entire categories of clothing. Ezra figures that because he's allowed to dress himself, that means he's allowed to refuse to wear anything with buttons on it, anything that doesn't match the underwear he is currently wearing that day, or (until very recently) pants (instead of shorts...with the cold weather...you didn't think I let him run around with no pants on, did you?). It's a constant attempt to find balance between squelching his independence and still teaching him to figure things out, do things for and by himself, while teaching him that there's still rules and regulations he has to follow. Definitely a work in progress.

Ez showing of his new haircut
(I told you if he didn't start letting me do his hair, we were going to have to go back to really short)

We're currently in the midst of the 13 Nights of Halloween (thanks Coty for the idea!). Basically we do crafts, play music, watch movies, read books, and eat dinners that are all Halloween-related for the 13 days leading up to Halloween. I also cut out and hide a Halloween shape for the kids to find each morning to help them count down the days. The kids have really been enjoying it. Part of me wonders why I've brought all this extra work on myself, especially in the very busy days leading up to Ezra's and Scarlett's birthdays and Halloween...but I think the simple answer is that I LOVE Halloween. Really, truly love it. It's so easy to get bogged down in the Halloween prep, especially if you're a masochist like me and make the costumes yourself, so I thought that maybe this will help me remember how fun Halloween can be and help my kids love it as much as I do.

My spider-web dip. Basically just any old regular dip with a sour cream spider web and an olive spider.

Here's some pics from some last nights Halloween-cookie decorating (who knew you could get a pack of 6 Halloween cookie cutters for $2 at Walmart? What a steal! The $6 Halloween-themed sprinkles...well, that's a different matter):

Doesn't he so look like he's enjoying himself

Scarlett does too, for that matter

Aaaand this would be the reason we don't actually eat most of the cookies

Man, don't I look exhausted? That would be what Spencer's (unusual) 62 hour work week will do to a girl. (ps-my hair is in a pony, it's not really as short as it looks in this pic)

Oh look! a picture where Georgia is actually looking at the camera and not making a silly face.

Ahhh, what a good sport

Thanks for reading my ramblings! Have a fabulous fall day and do something Halloween-ie. Even something as simple as worms/spaghetti for dinner fits the bill!

For My Mother

...who I suspect secretly believes Georgia's hair never gets done any further than a bow clip.

Here's proof I actually DO her hair occasionally. When it comes to whether or not she'll yank it out within the next hour and a half, all bets are off.


I know, I know, the part isn't as Nazi straight as yours are, mom, yet you've got to give me some credit...I'm working with more twist and turns than an Alpine Slide.

(Don't look now, but Georgia's actually pant-less in the pictures. Further confession: there was some major persuasion involved in getting her to even put a shirt on. *sigh* The most ridiculous part is that I've dressed her at least three times already this morning. I attempt to keep my children looking decent, but Georgie's constantly thwarting me with her rampant nudity.)

As further evidence, here's a bonus picture of Scarli all gussied up:


You get no pictures of Ezra because he's refusing to let me do his hair for anything other than church and even then, it's just barely. I foresee a cropped haircut quickly approaching in his future.

Heaven help me...

Today, Ezra was going to the bathroom. He'd been in there a while, but as my kids are slow pottiers, nothing seemed amiss...until I started to hear a odd scraping noise coming from the bathroom. It took me a moment, but it wasn't long before I realized it was the unmistakable sound of the top of the toilet tank being lifted off and then replaced.

Alarmed, I rushed in. When asked why he was messing with the toilet, Ezra replied,

"I just wanted to see what it looked like when I flushed."

When Spencer asked him what he saw, Ezra was able to describe in fairly good detail the inner workings of a toilet tank,

"You push the button and the anchor pulls up the black thing and that lets out all the water. Then the black thing closes and it fills up with water."

Don't even get me started on how he disassembled a small drainage system in the basement last week.

Heaven help me, I'm raising one of them...



ps-If you're raising one of them, married to one of them, related to one of them, or just friends to one of them...here's a link to my favorite engineer-humor website. I know I've mentioned An Engineering Mind before, but this is for all y'all who missed it the first time.

You know those women...

...who think their husband is absolutely wonderful? The ones that are more in love today than they were yesterday, their last anniversary, or even their wedding day? They're the ones that, for the most part, sit quietly by while their friends complain about how their husbands don't help clean, put the kids to bed, or make dinner, because, frankly, their husbands do help clean, put the kids to bed, and will occasionally even make dinner. You know, the women who believe they definitely got the better half of the deal.

Let's be honest folks, they're the ones you roll your eyes at because they're occasionally even a little sickly-sweet with their ooey, gooey puppy dog eyes and adoration.

Well, I have a confession to make...I am soooo one of them.

Who doesn't love a little paisley and sparkle?

I'm not really the Susy Homemaker type, but when I stumbled across this easy-peasy tutorial on cape-making, I thought, "what the hey" and figured I'd at least attempt. Ezra's been begging to be a superhero for Halloween and with his birthday falling conveniently right before my second favorite holiday of the year, this project couldn't come at a better time. Considering this is the first thing I've sewn completely and utterly by myself in about three and a half years, I'm pretty darn proud of myself.

ps-I know, I know, it's paisley, which is traditionally a girly pattern...but it had all the right colors, and it was fun and bright, and...I don't care, I love me some paisley. If Ezra hates me for it one day, so be it.


Spencer and Ezra left this evening to go to the Father & Son Campout (Ezra's so excited he practically peed his pants...and that's when he just thought that camping meant "let's go roast marshmallows in the park and then go home." I'm sure he'll be through the roof when he figures out there's tents involved), and Georgia kept begging me to take "just the girls" to the park. So, I figured we'd head to the mall and make us all happy, I mean, what's better than a little retail therapy for me and a little jumping around the playarea for her? It's a win-win situation. While there, I came across these fabulous sparkly sneakers on sale for a mere 10.49+tax. Georgia was in love with all the glitter and the pink. I was in love with the price, not to mention she desperately needs some everyday fall shoes. Of course I snatched some up.


While I was buckling the girls in their carseats, Georgia informed me, "I have sparkly shoes. They make me happy. Sparkly shoes make everybody happy." Ahhh, nothing like a little glitter to make the world seem right again.

These are a few of my favorite things...

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad

In my house:

My new(ish) sign hanging up over my entertainment center

My latest project (excuse the glare)

One of my very favorite fall decorations on the shelf under one of my other very fav decorations, in general (it's simplicity at its best).
(ps-this picture makes my shelf look bowed; it's actually not)

mmmmm...isn't it lovely?

The mod podged shabby chic "S" for Scarlett in the girls' room. The mini ric-rac isn't my fav, but I had it on hand.

With the In-Laws:
(Spencer's twin brother and sister came out to visit at the beginning of August, with his parents following at the end)

Trips to Sonic for slushes
(horrible picture, I know, but it was the only one where you could see all of us)

Free change from fountains

Chillin' while Kim and Kyle run a big ol' trail race
(Kim came in 3rd for the womens division and Kyle came in 5th for the mens. This was particularly impressive because it was their first hard-core trail run and they were competing again much more experienced trail runners, not to mention their bodies weren't used to the humidity at all. yay! yay! Kim and Kyle!)

Taking a long stroll around the Plaza

Georgia sportin' the homeless man look at the Plaza (heaven knows, she wasn't the only one ;)

With my side in Amarillo:
Cadillac Ranch...

Scarlett hangin' in the sling

Diva Georgia

Aren't they the coolest [cue the dreamy sigh]

Bedhead, in general...

Back home again:

Newly discovered curls

The rare occasion when my two oldest aren't trying to kill each other

This would be my offical not favorite thing...

The scene of the crime.
(This picture doesn't even do it justice. It was so, so bad. The ink didn't even all come out...that green is a killer.)

The evidence.

The culprit.
(Lest you think she worked alone, she didn't. Ezra was the real mastermind behind it, he just wasn't caught purple handed.)

My decapod crustacean of a daughter

shrimp: tiny in size, quantity; adjective

Synonyms:bantam, bitty, cramped, diminutive, inconsequential, inconsiderable, little, meager, microscopic, mini, miniature, minuscule, minute, modest, petite, picayune, piddling, pint-sized, pocket-sized, puny, runty, scanty, scrubby, short, slight, small-scale, stunted, teensy, teeny, toy, trifling, trivial, undersized, unpretentious, wee.

...apparently, I've given birth to one.

Scarlett recently had her 9 month well-baby (although she's actually 10 months) and weighed in at a whopping 14lbs 12oz and 26 inches in length. She was only 5% in length, but that's still significantly better than her weight, which wasn't even anywhere near the bottom of the percentile chart. Our (fabulous) doctor isn't all that worried, but he'd like her to come in and have her weight checked at the end of the month, just to be sure she's growing.

She's a tiny little thing, but we love her anyway. She's all dimply smiles and giggles and is such a ray of sunshine and joy in our home. Not to mention, she has the biggest grin I've ever seen. Her smile to face ratio is insanely unbalanced in favor of her smile. That's ok, I still think she's beautiful.

(whoa, I'm pretty sure I'm seeing some tonsils)

On a random note, a friend of mine sells aprons she and a friend make...and I just gotta say, they're absolutely fabulous (then again, everything Carrie does seems to be fabulous;). To top off the rampant fabulousness, they're having a free give away! yay! yay! Visit here to enter.

Stay tuned, when I get up the motivation I'll post some pictures from our trip to Amarillo and Georgia looking like a homeless man (big stretch of the imagination there, I'm sure)...