I am nuts about this boy.
January 29, 2009
Almost three . . .
January 26, 2009
Banana Nut Bread
1 stick butter (or margarine)
It's just so simple. It's just so good.
January 25, 2009
A model's debut . . .
CRASHing with Cameron
I have a lot to learn. Mainly, to override my camera. It's as tricky as it sounds for this novice. But I'm learning. Apertures, depth of field and shutter speed, oh my! All of my pictures came out blurred (I still don't know what I did wrong), but I'll keep on practicing. Practice makes perfect! And I think Shauna has captured perfection.
Thank you, dear teacher, for sharing your enthusiasm and your mind-blowing talent with a novice and her baby. Thank you, also, fellow wanna-be-photographers, for letting me be 'that girl' yesterday. As in, the one who showed up late to class WITH A BABY. You guys were all so kind, so helpful. I'm so grateful. Shutterbugs, rock it!
January 15, 2009
Cherished Children's Books
Do Unto Otters
Laurie Keller
I Love You More
Laura Duksta
Margaret Wise Brown
On the Night You Were Born
Nancy Tillman
Never Too Little to Love
Jeanne Willis & Jan Fearnley
Overboard!
Sarah Weeks & Sam Williams
January 13, 2009
On being a student . . .
-Find the long-lost sippy cup. Fast.
-DVR "Maggie & the Ferocious Beast" with my eyes closed
-Locate, pre-soak, wash and dry the cherished blanket before it's even missed
-Handle the "Witching Hour", which involves making four dinners (the dog's, Ben's, ours, and the baby's), all the while holding Cameron The Great Nap-Striker on my hip. For the record, this happens every night, week after week, month after month, and NO I STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT GIRL TO SLEEP THRU THE NIGHT, so I remain completely sleep-deprived while juggling.
-Provide my services as a Jungle Gym, which is especially helpful on a day too cold to venture to the park. I'm also a rock-star flotation device at the swimming pool.
-I am one mean diaper-rash-stopping machine.
Still working on the fine art of discipline. Today I screamed (yes, screamed) at Ben from the confines of my too-small-shower to leave my steaming hot mug of French Vanilla alone. As in, "Benjamin James, DO NOT TOUCH THAT, DO NOT TOUCH IT, LISTEN TO ME, AAAHHHHHH, NOOOOOOOO!!!" It sloshed all over my just-cleaned bathroom countertops and all down his little navy labrador T-shirt. It's the cutest shirt, and the bathroom did look pretty and polished after my rigorous scrubbing. More yelling, tears welling . . . When I finally pried the darling rooster mug from his coffee-coated hands, he looked up at me with those big brown eyes and said "Mommy, will you be nice to me now?" That kid. Like I said, I'm learning, too.
January 08, 2009
Top 10 Mommy Must Haves!
9. Lansinoh Diaper Rash Ointment. It has triple protection (lanolin, zinc oxide, dimethicone), and the best part, it goes on white and rubs in clear. Perfection, I promise.
8. Ian's All-Natural and Organic Food for Kids. Ben has a milk allergy, so this line of food really is perfect for us, but it's also a healthy alternative to some not-so-nutritious favorites. Sold at HEB, fair prices, gluten free. Their turkey corn dog bites are a big hit . . . I think I'm in love!
6. Tweezerman facial hair scissors are perfect for teeny-tiny fingernails. The rounded tips are safe, and the cutting edge is sharp. Tweezerman is gold-standard, and at $12/pair, the price is golden, too.
5. Oxi. As in OxiClean. They really are the stain specialists.
4. The coolest baby monitor around is from Bebe Sounds . . . Two videos, one tiny little monitor, and I can spy on my sleeping (or non-sleeping) babies any time I want! It's like reality tv, only it never fails to warm my heart, confirm my suspicions, and provide me with some really big laughs.
3. Cool Mom Picks. I check it daily. Fun and fresh ideas for hip moms like us!
2. Starbucks. We call it Fourbucks. I don't care, I can't live without my coffee fix.
1. Ziplocks. As in bags. Dirty diaper? Ziplock. Leftover lunch? Ziplock. Suckers, handi-wipes, bandaids, and more? In a Ziplock. My purse, my diaper bag, my suitcases, my car . . . They're everywhere!
Let me know what you can't live without , and I'll post my favorite response!
January 06, 2009
Candid Cameron
January 01, 2009
Just a glimpse . . .
Ben's first snow . . . He loved it, as did Paige (age 3-1/2). They went sledding together, even built their first snowman with Uncle Dustin. I wish I had a picture of the poor little snowman. He looked like Jabba the Hut.
More pictures, soon. Okay, reality check. More pictures when I get caught up with the laundry, which could easily be the middle of next week.
Happy Birthday Jesus!