holy cow

There's so much to update. From months ago. I finally uploaded all of my pictures onto my computer. But now all I want to do is go to bed. So sometime this weekend I'll begin creating an epic post.

For now here's my little squirt from this morning:

She's waaaaay excited for Halloween and so, therefore, wants to make scary faces and noises all.of.the.time.

well it's about time

My oldest sister is pregnant. Again. =) Number 5. The oldest isn't even 9 yet. And the first 4 are girls. Like girly girls.

BUT she found out today she's having a BOY. 

FINALLY!

Congrats, Carrie!

Name him Benjamin.

fall is here

and we're pretty happy about it...

**********

Thank you, Kara, for taking such darling pictures of my wee one.

check that off our list

This girl is 100% potty trained.

 I always had planned on doing it when she was around 2 1/2 - the older the easier - but she was about to have her surgery so I put it off. And put it off. And put it off.

I kept hearing horror stories so I avoided it until a few weeks ago. She was beyond ready so I pushed myself and did it. 

The first day she lived in nakedness, we went nowhere, she had 4 accidents, and ate countless M&Ms and tootsie rolls as rewards. The second day she lived in a t-shirt, undies, went to the park and library for an hour, had 2 accidents, and ate countless chocolate. Since then she's had 2 accidents in 2 weeks from not being able to get her pants down fast enough (and chocolate has been nixed). 

One day within the first week we were gone all day shopping and she asked to go potty at Costco and Savers (local thrift store where I get all of my vintage pyrex and furniture I paint =)

She's got this potty business down.

Now I've jinxed myself and she'll piddle all over church tomorrow...

it's a date

Charlotte and I are seeing this next week and I'm not sure who is more excited.

love her

day off

Apparently one of my friends "owed" me a day of babysitting. I don't even remember babysitting for her, but I took her up on the offer to watch Charlotte for the day. I would have loved to have planned a date with Ben, but he is so ridiculously busy I'd have to write myself in his schedule a month in advance. I would have loved to have gone out with a friend, but they all have children and this was a NO KIDS day. 

So I ventured out by myself and it was awesome.

I left her around 9:30 and went shopping. all. day. long.

I bought a few old windows from a 1930's recently renovated house for $8 each. Steal.

Then I headed out west toward the cornfields and found some amazing antique stores.

This made me miss my mom and sisters, because antique shopping is what we do best together.

Then I headed to the outlets for some more retail/cothing therapy.

By the time I got back to pick her up it was almost 4:30, and I have to say that I missed her. I wouldn't have wanted to bring her, but I was so happy to go pick the little peach up. I don't think I could handle working and dropping her off everyday. I'd go through some serious Charlotte withdrawals. 

She barely glanced at me as I walked in. Her face was painted like a butterfly, she had dried play-doh on her shirt, and she told me on the way home that "Kara loves me. Yep, she really loves me." (Kara was her sitter, my friend).

I think we both had a dang fine day.

(picture above courtesy of Kara taken at some point today)