Baby Face!

Whether he's crying, laughing, covered in oatmeal or anything in between...doesn't he have the most adorable face? We think so! His little snort snoot face is one of my favorites right now.

Oh, and I don't think I told you that he can walk now. He really can. And it's sooo stinkin' cute! And wanna know what made him finally just do it? I was holding a donut and he wanted it. I don't know if that's a fat mama joke or a fat kid joke. But, he walked for a donut. (He's really not that fat anymore by the way. He lost a pound while he was sick and hasn't gained it back, but of course he's grown in length). I didn't take a picture of the walking. I was proud of myself for that. Weird, huh? The reason I'm proud is because it meant I enjoyed the moment rather than running for my camera and trying to make him do "tricks" for a picture. He walked to me and I caught him in my arms and hugged him so tight!!!! (6-7 steps by the way! and it was last Sunday-October 17th, 2010 He was exactly 10 1/2 months!)


There are so many things I could say about these pictures. I could call it the perfect date (I mean come on. He can't say anything stupid or insulting. He is ripped. She gets to drive the cute car and he can't tell her how to do it. He would never leave the seat up on the toilet like my toilet in the background...You get it? The other thing I could say is...my child doesn't notice or care that her Ken doll (actually that was my Ken doll-and was given to my daughters in perfect condition *scowls*) is headless and naked. She is happy to play with him that way. :)

About a month ago some really nice people at church offered us this dollhouse
-the Loving Family doll house. Their girls had outgrown it and they wanted a good home for it. (I guess they haven't been to my home so they can plead ignorance on the "good home" thing.) They said we could give it to her now or save it back for Christmas...it was up to us. Well, I could NOT see saving back something someone had given us (that was used) and giving Santa the credit for it. I just couldn't. In hindsight? I so can see it. I immediately knew I had made a mistake on this one. When I brought it into the house, Haley asked if Santa had brought it. Duh! Even in September with nary a Christmas tree in sight...the child thought this really cool dollhouse was from Santa. If I had saved it (and all of the really neat stuff that came with it-bicycles, pop-up camper, furniture, people....) Christmas for Haley would've been done. I had planned on getting her the newer version of it for Christmas anyway, so what's the diff? (For the record, this version is better because: A. It was free B. It has way more stuff with it than I could have ever afforded even if it were available, which I don't know that it is C. It doesn't make noises and lights-ergo it doesn't need BATTERIES. I detest toys that need batteries. They never get replaced in our house. So, there.

Three and a half years ago my kitchen was redone. Not completely, but on a shoe-string budget. My dad was able to really do a lot for the look of the kitchen with minimal out of pocket expense to us. I didn't change my light fixture over the table-it's nothing horrible, just builder's grade...gold and glass...something you'd see in an apartment. But I didn't find anything that really suited me enough to spend the money on it (especially when we plan on redoing the kitchen relatively soon anyway-for real redoing it. All the way!) And I didn't do anything about my window treatments. I finally, after looking and not finding any valances that suited me for all 3 1/2 years (well, okay, I looked while I wasn't homeschooling, gestating or giving birth) I bought some fabric and made a little valance. I really didn't make it "right" so don't look too close if you come to my house, but I think it looks perfectly cute. And it makes a huge difference from what it looked like all blank. It looks so much homier (not homlier...that would be totally different) now! And I'm so glad I did it. It was supposed to be a non pleated valance. Just plain. But to me (and Lindsay agreed) it looked like part of a sheet hanging in the window that way. So, I added a couple of gathers and 2 buttons I got on clearance:



And I've found that these plants fare the best in my pretty little flower pots in my kitchen window sill (ie I can't kill them):



My kids made the flowers/crafts. I do have a third pot but it's recovering from the moldy, ant infested plant that was in it. It will also receive a nice tissue paper (or other crafty) plant when it's better.