Ribbons

Dylan finally got a haircut. To be honest, it's been a long time coming. She's needed her hair to be trimmed and shaped for quite some time. I just haven't been able to bring myself to do it. I was afraid she would freak out in the chair. I was afraid she would no longer have the cute little flippy curls in the back of her head. I was afraid she'd jerk in her seat and they'd have to cut it all off. And, I was afraid it wouldn't fit into a ponytail anymore. Because, let's be honest, she only lets me finger-comb her hair into a ponytail. No cute little piggy tails for this girl.

But, all of my fears were silly. She sat perfectly still and didn't jerk around, she still has some little flips in the back and she jumped right into her seat. Unfortunately, the ponytail is out of the question for awhile, but that's okay too. I'll explain why in a minute.

We took Dylan to the local "childrens" hair salon. I couldn't believe the cost for a childs haircut, but thankfully my sister sent me a coupon to help out a little bit. Thanks Bryn! We had been talking to Dylan all morning about getting her hair cut so when we walked in, she knew why we were there and what was going to happen. I was still nervous about a freak out because I know that a lot of kids have a hard time getting their hair cut, especially the first time. The girl that cut Dylan's hair was great. She helped Dylan climb into her chair, asked her if she wanted to watch a cartoon and talked to her a lot. That relaxed Dylan immediately. I got a little nervous when it was time for the apron, but Dylan looked at Todd with that deer in the headlights look, and he reassured her that it was okay. After that, she was fine. She sat so still and watched her cartoon. She didn't move at all, until a little boy started to get his hair cut in the chair across from her...and he got to play video games.

Now, the reason I don't worry so much about the ponytail?? The stylist put a pretty pink ribbon in her hair. And Dylan has worn it almost every day since. Finally she is letting us do something to her hair. We get to brush it and put a ribbon in it without a single fight. It's fantastic. I think I'll have to find more ribbons for her hair now that I know she likes them.

Here are a few pictures of Dylan's first haircut as well as the final outcome. I wonder how long it will be before her next haircut...

The Kitchen

I've been in the mood for quite some time to paint our kitchen. Two and a half of the walls had been painted, but it was the final wall and a half that needed some color. I always knew that the last of the space would be colorful. Not a neutral taupe like the rest of the room. And for the longest time, I had a beautiful bluish-gray color that I found in a Pottery Barn magazine that I just adored. That was until I tried to find things to match the room.

I couldn't match the color. My mom and I searched and searched for items I could use in the room, but matching the blue was so difficult. My heart was still set on this beautiful blue, until I walked into the paint store and fell in love with a terracotta clay orange.

I brought paint swatches home of both colors and asked for opinions. If you walked into my kitchen, your opinion was necessary. My brother-in-law didn't even get into the kitchen or see the swatches before he offered his opinion. He simply said, "You're taking the orange and blue thing a little far, aren't you?" Funny. The colors were orange and blue, but nowhere near the "real" orange and blue of UF. And of course, when people did actually give us opinions, it was usually, "I like both colors." Great. Thanks. A lot of help that gives me.

In the end, I chose the orange. Or should I say clay. We went to Home Depot with my color swatch and ordered the color. We also found another bucket of paint on the sale rack that would be perfect for Dylan's headboard and footboard (that's another post) and we bought some primer for our entertainment center (again, another future post). We got home and set to work on the kitchen.

Todd usually cuts in all the corners and at the baseboards and ceiling, and I roll. It works fairly well for us. As Todd opened the can of paint, my heart just sank. He said, "It's really dark. It's going to make this room really dark. Are you sure you want to use this color?" Of course, I started to second guess my choice. I wondered if the room would look like a cave. I wondered if it was going to work and if I would love it as much as I thought I would. I wondered if I jumped the gun and decided on the color too fast without thinking about it as long as I had thought about the blue.

But, the paint had been bought and I was determined to use it and finally get my kitchen painted. Cave outcome or not.

I started to roll on the paint and Todd again commented on how dark it was, but it was too late. There would be no turning back.

And I'll tell you what, as soon as I had a little bit more of the paint on the roll, I realized I loved it. I absolutely loved the color. As more and more paint hit that wall, the more I wanted to stop and just look at it. I loved the way it looked against our cabinets and countertops. I loved the way it looked down near our tile. And I loved the way it looked with our black accents. I also realized I wouldn't have to find the exact color of orange to match for accent pieces. I really just want the black and a few plants in baskets up high on my cupboards. I love the way the green looks against the wall.

To me, the choice was a success. And I think the color grew on Todd as well. Dylan came in and called it brown. But what does she know? She's only two. Either way, so far, everyone that has walked into our freshly painted kitchen has liked the color. Granted, they could have been lying through their teeth, but I prefer to believe that our choice was a good one.

What do you think?

Apparently, There's a New Animal on the Farm

Last night as I was putting Dylan to bed she asked me to sing her some songs. She had a tough time deciding which one I should sing, and kept asking for the angel song. Does anyone know which song that is? I'm assuming she learned it in her nursery class at church, but for the life of me I don't know which one it is. Any help would be great.

Instead I started to sing Old MacDonald. I typically sing and let Dylan choose the animal on the farm. Here is how last night's rendition went.

Me: Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O,
And on his farm he had a ______

Dylan: Mickey Mouse

Me: (Mickey Mouse???) E-I-E-I-O,
With a _____

Dylan: Clubhouse

Me: (Clubhouse??) here and a _____

Dylan: Clubhouse

Me: there,
Here a clubhouse, there a clubhouse, everywhere a clubhouse
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
And on his farm he had a _____

Dylan: Clarabelle (and she's laughing hysterically)

Now that's just silly. Since when is Mickey Mouse and Clarabelle Cow on Old MacDonald's farm?
Either way, it was so funny to me that Mickey Mouse and Clarabelle Cow were the two animals that came to her mind...and that Mickey Mouse "said" clubhouse.

Thanks Disney Channel.

Monthly Goals Update

Here's my monthly accountability to my list of 101 things in 1,001 days. Hopefully I'm making progress. Let's find out.

personal
1. spend three hours once a week for a month on me and only me COMPLETED (thanks Diana)

2. go to bed by 10pm every night for a month

3. make a 101 list COMPLETED (this was a gimmie)

4. return all phone calls within 24 hours for a month

5. return all e-mails within 24 hours for a month

6. get a pedicure as needed for 6 months IN PROGRESS

7. have a meal with friends once a month for 6 months IN PROGRESS

marriage

8. talk without distraction each night for a week

9. say I love you every day for 6 months IN PROGRESS

10. give hugs and kisses every day for 6 months IN PROGRESS

11. celebrate anniversary somewhere other than home overnight

12. find one new thing we both enjoy doing together

13. laugh together each day for a month

14. have date night once a week for a month

spiritual

15. attend all HFPE meetings for a year

16. read scriptures personally every day for a month

17. attend all three meetings on Sunday for two months straight

18. have 100% visiting teaching for a year IN PROGRESS

19. read the book of mormon cover to cover

20. prepare Sunday lessons before the weekend starts

21. no caffeine for a month

22. watch all four conference sessions COMPLETED

23. say personal prayers each night for a month

health, beauty, and fitness

24. lose 15 lbs

25. ride the elliptical 3x’s a week for a month

26. go for a walk 3x’s a week for two months

27. don’t eat fast food for a month

28. make dinner every night for two weeks

29. stop biting my fingernails for at least one month

30. get LASIK

31. take a yoga class

32. drink only water for one week

for the house

33. get Dylan into a twin bed IN PROGRESS

34. organize the kid’s clothes and closets COMPLETED

35. keep the car clean for one month

36. organize craft room

37. keep craft room clean for two months

38. get Isaac into a twin bed

39. redo kids’ bedrooms

40. redo master bedroom

41. paint kitchen COMPLETED

travel

42. leave the country

43. visit a national park

44. see Wicked somewhere in the country

45. stay at the Hotel Coronado in San Diego

46. visit a state I have never been to

47. visit a friend out of town

48. start an Italy fund

reading

49. read each day for at least 30 minutes for two weeks

50. read a book by a new author

51. go to the library twice a month for three months

52. start and finish a book in one day (at least 175 pages)

53. read the ensign every month for 6 months

54. read the entire book club book for six months

finances

55. put money in a travel fund for NY

56. put all spare change in jar for 3 months

57. make and keep a personal budget for two months

58. don’t use the credit card for a week other than necessities (food, gas, bills)

59. for one month spend money only on necessities

hobbies

60. use the camera everyday for a month COMPLETED

61. finish family cookbook IN PROGRESS

62. blog every day for one month COMPLETED

63. bake something new once a month for six months IN PROGRESS

64. be comfortable with and "get" my camera IN PROGRESS

65. complete two Daily December Journals and have them printed

66. take a photography class

67. take a German class

68. be proficient in photoshop

crafts

69. complete three mini albums IN PROGRESS

70. complete two different knitting projects IN PROGRESS

71. decorate the master bedroom IN PROGRESS

72. take a knitting class

73. complete a new sewing project once a month for 6 months

74. finish Dylan’s scrapbook

75. start Isaac’s scrapbook

76. finish Isaac’s scrapbook

for others

77. be a secret santa

78. donate clothing or other items

79. donate blood

80. do a random act of kindness for someone in the neighborhood

for dylan

81. hug her, kiss her, and tell her I love her everyday for a month COMPLETED

82. say prayers with her every night for a month COMPLETED

83. teach her to ride a bike

84. sign her up for soccer

85. enroll her in swim lessons

86. get her potty trained

87. teach her to do a somersault

88. read or sing to her every night for a month COMPLETED

for Isaac

89. teach him the ABCs and to count to 10

90. take a mommy and me class

91. enroll him in swim lessons

92. get him potty trained

93. read or sing to him every night for a month

94. say prayers with him every night for a month

95. hug him, kiss him and tell him I love him everyday for a month COMPLETED

household chores

96. clean all the bathrooms once a week for a month (I hate this chore!)

97. get all the laundry and ironing done on Fridays for 3 months

98. wash and dry pots and pans each night for a month (no air drying!)

odds and ends

99. no tv on in the bedroom for a week

100. no computer for three days (at all)

101. no tv with the kids for a week

Not a lot of changes, just a few "In Progress" tags turning into "Completed" ones. Not many new things In Progress either. But next months update should have all sorts of Completes added to the list.

Mini Me

I probably talk to Whitney five days a week. It's almost always via e-mail. I love it. I love that we always have things to talk about. I love that she has two boys and can fill me in on all the fun things I have to look forward to with Isaac. I love that she doesn't sugar coat any of it either. When she came out here with the family in January she brought quite a few things she had found and bought for Isaac. She's also sent me overalls for him to wear as well.

A few weeks ago I got an e-mail from her on a Saturday. I don't usually talk to her on the weekends. Those are her days to focus on Brett and the boys. But I got an e-mail. This one was just a real quick one to let me know that she had bought something for Isaac again. I told her she didn't need to keep buying Isaac clothes (although I love it because she can always find great deals once clothes go on sale. In Arizona, everything is picked over before the really huge discounts take place.) Her response to me, "As soon as Brett and I saw it, we HAD to get it for Isaac. Just promise to send us pictures."

Two days later a package arrived and I ripped into it. What a fun and great surprise. I don't want to ruin the surprise so you'll just have to look for yourself.

Whit, here are your pics.

Todd loved seeing Isaac wearing this. I had taken a few pictures, and Todd came home and had to take more. I think Todd just loves the idea of having a little mini me. Whitney, thank you for the perfect shirt and if you come across any more "police" finds, we'll be more than happy to have them.

Burnt Out

I think I mentioned after my last post in March that you would probably only "hear" from me once a week or so. I guess that holds true as this is only my fourth post this month. Don't get me wrong, so much has happened, I just haven't had any desire to post pictures and write about it. Just lazy I guess. So, in an attempt to catch up, I'll start with the things we've missed and post until I've caught up. Not all today, but before the weekend is through, I hope to be all caught up. Maybe a post in the morning and one in the evening. I'm not sure I have THAT much to catch up on, but you get the idea.

Earlier this month Todd and I brought up Dylan and Isaac's table and chairs from downstairs so they could eat lunch outside. They both loved it. And the table has remained upstairs ever since. I think they've only eaten outside once since that first day, but this little table is where they want to eat all their meals now. I usually let them have lunch there, but breakfast and dinner is at the "big" table. Dylan also loves to color on this pint-sized table. She asks for her colors and a book and she sits down to get to work.

One morning I walked into the kitchen to see Dylan coloring, and she had her baby doll sitting in the chair across from her. You'll notice that baby doll isn't actually sitting on the chair, she's wedged in there by the chair so she can see over the table. So funny! I had to snap a couple of shots of Dylan coloring and baby doll watching it all.

If Only I Had the Camera...

As I sat downstairs knitting while the kids played before bed, I found myself wishing I had the camera in my lap.

Todd turned on a movie in the theater and I could hear the kids climbing and laughing and playing so well together. These giggles are so precious to hear. There have been more days lately where Dylan is showing her dominance (or is it her "terrible twos?") rather than the laughs I love, but tonight was special. They just laughed and played. They chased each other and crawled on each other and squealed with delight.

Then came that moment when all I wanted was the camera. I quickly realized I wouldn't be able to capture this moment on film, and just as quickly wished I had a camcorder. You see, there was music playing in the theater and Dylan loves to dance. Whenever there is a song she comes to me and says, "Dance with me mommy." There are plenty of times when I don't want to get up and dance and want to tell her no, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I can't do it because I know that one day that sweet request will stop. Dylan will no longer want to dance with me. I won't get to hold her and swing her around in circles as she insists on holding my hand as we twirl around the room.

Tonight, I was not the one Dylan wanted to dance with. It was Isaac. She would say, "Isaac dance with me" and Isaac would walk to her laughing, she would grab his hand and she would start to twirl around. She would make about a quarter turn before Isaac would lose his balance and fall (laughing of course) and Dylan would say again, "Isaac get up and dance with me."

How I wish I had a camera. Or a camcorder. It was wonderful to see my two sweet children dancing together. To hear their laughter and see their smiles. To know that even though there are plenty of moments when I'm playing referee, there are, and will be just as many moments (or more) when they will want to dance together, play together and laugh together.

How do you capture that on film?

Strawberry Jam

Last year, right before the end of the strawberry season I made some freezer jam. I'd never made it before, and I made about eight containers worth of jam. It tasted so good, and I gave some of it away, but the rest went into the freezer where it belonged.

And I promptly forgot about it.

Until last week. I was looking in the freezer, noticed it in the back, knew it was needing to be eaten, and knew I needed to make some more. I took the jam and put it in the fridge so it would thaw and be ready to eat the next morning. It was still so good.

I put some on an couple of english muffins for the kids for breakfast, and when it was time for lunch I asked Dylan what she wanted. She immediately told me peanut butter and strawberries. I made the kids a sandwich and for the first time, there wasn't even a bit of crust leftover.

Yup, my kids even ate the crust!

I couldn't resist taking a couple shots of the kids after their lunch.

Bzzzz

I feel like I haven't blogged in a month. And actually, it's been quite nice. Todd has started to complain that there is nothing new to read and that I need to post something. There has been quite a bit going on, but I don't think I'll post about all of it just yet. So, I'll post this:

Isaac finally got his hair cut! I know, I know. I cut a section off a few weeks ago. But this time, it got buzzed. And it looks so cute!

We were at a friends house last week and they have four boys. I figured Michelle must cut the boys' hair and when I asked her she said she cut all four boys, plus her husbands hair. I told her about Isaac needing his cut and how it would cost $15 to get it done. She shuddered and said she would shave it for him. I jumped at the chance, and how funny that Todd happened to have the camera with him so we could even get pictures!

Isaac was so good. We stood out on the porch, Isaac with an apron on, and me holding him. He was such a good boy and sat so still while Michelle shaved his head. It was so fast and so easy. She told me that I could buy a set of clippers to cut his hair myself and it would cost the same amount as one haircut! What???!!! I think I'll have to look into that. I learned last time that I'm never going to cut his hair, but I never said anything about shaving it. =)

Here's the only picture we got of the finished product. Don't ask us what we were thinking, but you can see just how cute and short his hair is, and that's what counts.