In the News This Week

Avery's newest craze is to put lotion on. She's always been a helper in every way, so I don't know why this surprised me.

It's really cute after baths, she'll pop the top, rub her hand on the lid, then on her face, hands, legs, and belly. It also happens any other time we're at the changing table (which is a lot).

In other family news, Kenny went back to school this week after spring break. It's hard to believe that it's already Wednesday. I'm glad last week didn't fly by as fast as this.

We enjoyed having Daddy home with us, but it is amazing how much more we get accomplished when he's not here. I guess it's less tempting to watch movies or go shopping alone.

All is well with the pregnancy. I've experienced a lot of dizziness and queasiness, as well as not really wanting to eat. Don't get me wrong; I always want to eat, but once I go look for something, absolutely nothing sounds good. Not fun, but I'm sure it's helping the pregnancy pounds stay away for a while. I had a dream last night that the doctor told us we were on track to have a 10 pound baby! Wow. Hope that doesn't come true.

The first month of the business has passed. In all honesty, it was not a full month, but rent is due for April, and I'm anxious to see if we've sold anything else. This weekend is our booth at GraceLift, so hopefully we'll get a lot of business there too.

Open For Business!

So it's taken a while, but Paintdrops and Lollipops (the umbrella company name for Little Boy Blue and PattyCake Designs) is open for business!

Last week, Ashley and I ventured into The Shoppes at My Kids Attic to get ideas for our upcoming booth at GraceLift. Then just for fun, we asked about rent prices. Little did we know, there would be a spot in our price range! So, between Wednesday and Saturday, we rented, painted, and filled our new boutique! It all happened so fast, and we're glad that it did.

Since we decided to hold off on the website for a while, things seemed to slow down for our ideas and readiness to promote. Now we hope it will pick back up now that we have a real outlet for our products. People will be exposed to our items daily instead of monthly!

So, if you're in the neighborhood (or if you want to head toward Colliseum Blvd.) take a gander in My Kids Attic. Toward the back, on the right side, you'll see "Paintdrops & Lollipops!" (The real life image is much more appealing that the picture below. The camara could not capture the quaint, coziness of our boutique.)

Guess What?!

I Am Blessed

Saturday was a long day for Kenny and me because of the track meet in Mobile. It was a successful day, considering the schools we were up against were all 5 and 6 A schools with outstanding athletes. The girls finished 6th overall (out of 11 teams), and unfortunately, the boys did not place.

Of course the day seemed a bit surreal because Avery was not bobbing along by our side. Our good friends, Dawn and Chris, volunteered to keep Avery at home for us so she could go about her normal routine. It was fun hearing their stories about her when we got home that night, and even more fun the next day when I would discover new things she had been taught. (Good things; nothing involving sticks or hitting me with them.)

To make a long story shorter, my point is that I missed Avery terribly. I saw her that morning at 7:30 when we left, but did not see her again until the following morning. So, I'm thankful that I am blessed to get to stay home with her each day. Otherwise, I would be pretty sad if I had to leave her everyday.

Sweet Meet

If you've been a part of a sport that's "in your blood" you know what I'm about to describe. For basketball it may be the smell of the leather ball, or the gym floor. For football it may be the nasty sour shoulder pads. Volleyball, balls resounding off of red, bruised arms. For soccer, maybe the freshly cut grass under your feet. Baseball, the sounds of the balls hitting metal bats.

For me it was the sound of the PA system, along with the smell of the air and rubber track on a good "track day." There are bad track days (those which include rain and wind), and there are good track days. The good ones have a briskness in the air, sun shining above, and this smell that's just hard to describe, other than saying the smell of Spring.

So far during practices this season, we've had some good ones, along with some bad. It's been fun being on the opposite side of things, as a coach instead of a runner, but it's been a little hard adjusting to not being the runner. Of course I can still run, but it's not the same as the feeling of fast competition. (Except the day Kenny and I raced...a sight to see!) So, I haven't felt the sense of nervousness that comes along with the smells and sounds of track season....until yesterday....

Yesterday was our first track meet of the season. We heard all week from parents telling us how nervous their kids were, and I was really glad to hear that. That meant they were serious about what they've been working so hard to achieve. And they did it.

Not only did we have the largest team by far, which showed up when there were entire heats in races of only ACA kids, but we finished well in most events. It was great, we were proud, and the kids improved.

Onward and upward to Saturday's meet!

Conversation Anyone?

Avery's vocabulary is continually growing. Everyday I'm amazed at what she can say on her own.

We have embarked upon a new stage where it is not cool to just repeat things. Avery is definately her own little person with her own little mind. She'll start a conversation with you and continue until she's finished. She even gets a little frustrated when we don't understand what she's trying to tell us.

She's also very impressionable. She always has been, but now it only takes one time to show her something before she can do something new. Of course our track kids just love this. They are constantly teaching her something; sometimes we don't see it until we are home, sometimes it's immediate. Sometimes it's good things, sometimes it's bad.

For instance, yesterday two boys thought it would be funny to give her a stick and have her say, "hi-yah!" while hitting the ground. Okay until she walked up to me and said, "hi-yah!" while hitting me with the stick. Of course I turned and said, "Avery, you know we don't hit people, blah, blah, blah." One boy just ran, the other said he was sorry and that it was his fault. I think they learned that they really are impacting her.

Some of the more fun things they have taught her include having Avery put her hands on her hips, shake them from side to side and say, "I'm too cute!" It really is too cute. And now she says that all the time.

And for those who are wondering, we really do practice...this is just before, after and in between!

Family Prisons?

What do you all think about this? I ran across the article while looking at Yahoo News.

The general idea is that there are now Spanish prisons that provide 'family cells', allowing mother, father and child to live together. In most cases, it says that the child is only there because there is no other family to watch after them, thus they do not enter a foster care world. But in one instance, the mother and father of one of the children in said 'family cell' met in prison, married, and had the child. All while in prison!

My understanding of reasons for prison are that freedoms are taken away, not given. Seems in this instance that these families are allowed to work (in the prison setting), eat, and live together. Basically, they're doing what they would do outside of prison without having to pay rent.

The child is provided the best milk, the opportunity to go to school, and access to the playground. I believe the child should not be punished, but this allows the parents extra time outside as well.

These particular parents are not in prison for theft. The mother is in prison for murder and the father for drug trafficking!

I guess it is good that the families are getting to be together; I just don't know if biological parents would be the best role model in this case. The article mentioned not knowing the mental effects this would have on them in the long run. I don't think I'd want to gamble with a child's life.

What do you think?

Silly Faces Anyone?

Avery's on a new kick of exploring the expressions she can make. It all started one day when she tried to take the top off of one of her fake bottles of cleaning suppplies (funny story regarding cleaning supplies coming soon). She pulled so hard on the lid, while it did not budge, that she shook all over, eyes wide and mouth open. I laughed so hard that she looked at me and realized she did something funny. Of course the silly face appeared again even though she wasn't trying to get the lid off.

So, now one of her favorite things to do is look in the mirror or at one of us and make goofy faces. I tried to capture the main funny one, but our camara is just too slow so what you're seeing is the tail end.

Of course after she makes her faces, she laughes at herself, so that's what the second picture is.


Regarding the cleaning supply story...

Kenny's mom sent Avery a vacuum cleaner, broom and dust pan a while back, complete with a box of detergent and two bottles of cleaning sprays. (All miniatures of course.)

Avery has recently re-discovered the bottles of supplies and enjoys chewing on the tops while her teeth hurt, taking the lids off, etc.

The other day while Kenny and I got ready for church, Avery sat in the floor, playing. I saw she had one of the bottles in her mouth, but of course thought nothing of it. Kenny, however, did not. As I walked into the bathroom, I heard, "Oh my goodness! Are you eating that!!!" (Then after taking the bottle from her), "Did you drink the whole thing!!!" He exclaimed, running toward me. (Well, I exaggerated a little..there was no running.) After I stopped laughing, I explained to him that they were 'pretend,' hence their small size, and that Avery would be just fine because there was nothing in them from the beginning.

Maybe that was a 'you had to be there' story, but for some reason it cracks me up.

(In all seriousness, I'm glad he was concerned about the well-being of our daughter.)

Paintdrops + Lollipops

I think deep down everyone has the desire to manage their own time, not be stuck inside a dreary (or even a not-so-dreary) office on a pretty day, or be available to go to their child's game or field trip without worrying about taking time off. Don't get me wrong. I am glad I experienced four years of working in the real world, and even better that I got to work in the field of advertising (which I spent my college years studying toward).

But...I've tasted freedom now that I'm home with Avery...and I don't want to go back...Ever.

The phrase, "you could sell that" resounds in my ears everytime I design, create, sew, or re-finish something. The wise words of my all-knowing mother. She's been the drive behind me most of my life, even after I gained the other best friend in my life who has the special knack to make me realize I can almost always go beyond the limits I set for myself.

So, with my mom and Kenny in the wings, I've decided to go for it.

And it's helped that I've met a friend, Ashley, with whom I have so much in common, and as an added bonus, has even more talents that help balance me out in areas where I'm lacking.

In other words, Ashley and I have created Paintdrops & Lollipops. A place for fabulous finds for women, baby and home. We've been planning and working for a while now and we're learning that there is going to be much more to come. The best part is that we're terribly excited for the opportunity to use our creative talents to establish a successful business.

Paintdrops + Lollipops will offer products ranging from children's furniture, totes, jewelry, original art, invitations for all occasions, birth announcements, to handmade pillows for tots, teens and home.

Our website is in the making, with a tentative launch date for mid February. We also plan to travel for on-site shows in Montgomery and surrounding cities.

So, for now we request prayers for peace of mind, patience and success. In the meantime, please help us spread the word!

Below is a preview of some of our featured items. Check out Ashley's site for more fabulous finds!

One! Ah Ah Ah!

Our Avery has learned something new...Again. And I'm sure it's due to watching Sesame Street, working with Momma, Daddy and her pal Chris, who reads to her whenever she wants.

Drumroll please...

Avery can count! Yes, with numbers. She's not that great when you ask her to show off, but when she's in her own little world, we'll catch her counting. During her bath yesterday, I was singing the counting song from Sesame Street. I got to three, and she took over from there. Then she got stuck saying "ate, nin, ten" over and over and over.

Today Kenny and I went to lunch with Avery at a Chinese restaraunt. There were fish everywhere (along with Santa Clause, wreaths, and garland, but that's another story). I asked her to count the fish. She said, "one, tee, foe, fife, sicks, ate, nin, ten!" Yes, she skipped two and seven. I asked her again. This time she skipped four and seven. Lucky number seven; or is it unlucky?

Anyway, I'm proud of my 19 month old child who can count. Or maybe it's just memorize. Either way, she's still learning!

Cause and Effect

Avery and I have spent part of our morning building "tall" (in Avery's words) towers and then of course knocking them down. It's hard to tell which part is her favorite because she enjoys building, but she also squeals with delight when they all come crashing down.

...Maybe we have an architect on our hands. Or possibly a demolition expert?

(Yes, that is a santa hat. She loves walking around with stuff on her head. This is the latest.)

I'm a Supa Star!

I stole this from Laura and Kenny. Different pictures yielded different results except for Vanessa Marcil. Huh?

http://www.myheritage.com

A View of the North Pole!

Below you'll see pictures from our fun filled day at the North Pole (two days after the blizzard and the day before the park closed for the season!) We got there just in time!

Cool Slideshows

A Taste of Things To Come

Here you will find some of our pictures in the snow, as promised. I get cold just looking at them.

It's taking a while for me to get them edited...who knew it would be time consuming to skim through over 430 pictures?!

The last picture is from our day at the Garden of the Gods. The last time I was there, I was a little older than Avery, so it was fun to go back and share that experience with her.

I'll post more later from our day at the North Pole.

Pictures

We get home tomorrow, so I promise I'll post pictures as soon as we get settled in!

(I haven't been able to get them off our camara at either of our families' homes.)

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

We left Texas on Saturday with the temperature reading 85 degrees. We arrived in Colorado with the temperature reading 24 degrees. We were excited that Avery (and us) would have a white Christmas.

Yesterday the forecast was for six to eight inches of snow. It did snow a little, but didn't stick or stay around. Today we woke up to snow piled against the window. Kenny's dad bought tickets to go see a movie, so we decided to bundle up and head out into the elements.

When I stepped out the front door, I fell into snow...guess where it came...up to my knees! It was exciting, but cold. Of course I didn't bring the proper shoes, so everything was soaked, and my feet were frigid.

We piled into Thomas' (Kenny's oldest brother) truck and headed to the theater. Little did we know, as we were leaving, a blizzard advisory went into effect. When we arrived at the mall, every store was closed, along with the theater.

So, we trudged back to the truck and back home. We did get here safely, and now we're snug and warm in the house.

The wind and snow are still swirling outside, so we'll see what tomorrow brings. (I'll post pictures as soon as I get them off of the camara.)

Sports Gal; Christmas Fun

Avery has been around sports for the duration of her life thus far. From still being in my belly while I ran volleyball tryouts, to sitting in her carseat during practices, to jumping alongside the girls while they blocked at the net. Then on gamedays for me, she enjoyed sharing practice time with Daddy, sometimes getting in a better 3-point stance than some of the football guys.

Of course Kenny and I hope to pass on our love of sports to Avery. We aren't going to force it on her, but it is fun to see that she already enjoys being 'athletic.' We're proud of the way she can already jump with both feet off the ground, her running skills, and of course her climbing abilities.

It is hard to come by girl sports things, so when we find it, we buy it no matter what the cost (within reason). First it was a treasure find when we came upon girls playing sports for her crib material, then the pink basketball (which she has learned to 'shoot'), then last night Kenny and I found a pink baseball and glove! So, we wrapped it up and let her open it that night to start her Christmas fun. We thought it would be more fun for her to enjoy one toy at a time instead of being bombarded with a million all at once.

After opening her new sports equipment last night, she tried to catch the ball, but she never had a good grip on the glove, and it would go flying as soon as the ball landed in it. This morning, however, she picked up the glove, put it on, and threw the ball into it. To my surprise, the glove did not go flying across the room. I picked up the ball and tossed it to her, and she caught it! We continued that game for a while, then she decided to move on to something else...with her glove still on her hand. She didn't take it off until lunchtime.

Glad she's happy with her present....and glad she picks up on things so quickly....athletic scholarship, here we come! :)

Everybody Loves Peter Boyle

I am one of those people who feel like characters in my favorite tv shows are my friends. You share in the ups and downs that they go through, and even though the situations are scripted, they tend to hit close to home sometimes.

Of course this actor was great in Everybody Loves Raymond, but my favorite role he played was in While You Were Sleeping alongside Sandra Bullock and other great actors. That's one of my favorite movies, and he was perfectly cast for it.

Unfortunately, the comedic world has suffered a loss with the death of Peter Boyle. See full story here. And since he was my 'friend' I feel I've suffered a loss as well.

I Made The Switch

Okay, so I made the switch to Beta. I guess I'll have to figure out all the bells and whistles when I have more time.

Peer Pressure...

Running on Empty

I have been awake since 3:00. Yes; a.m. I don't know if it was from the excitement of seeing Santa and Mrs. Clause last night at the church Christmas party, but Avery had a very hard time going to sleep last night. Once she did finally fall asleep, she woke up every hour until 3:00 for reasons I will never know, and decided it was appropriate for momma and her to have a slumber party...without the slumber.

She was not fussy (unless I tried to put her to bed); she was not feverish; not hurting (as far as I could tell); she just wanted to stay up and spend some quality time with me I suppose. Good thing I taped The Polar Express the night before. It was both of our first time's to watch it, and I would say we were both pleased.

I tried about every 40 minutes to put her back to bed; to no avail. 7 o'clock rolled around. Kenny got up, got ready for work, then left. Avery was still awake and going strong. I decided breakfast was in order, so we chowed on waffles and scrambled eggs.

8 o' clock: Avery is still awake. (And might I add, that means so am I.)

9 o'clock: It happens. Avery twirls her hair behind her ear=the ultimate sign that she's sleepy. I take her to her room for the umpteenth time, give her a pacifier and her blanket. She is clearly tired, but as I bend to lay her in her bed, she stiffens and screams. Luckily, once her back touches the mattress, she stops the screeching. I tiptoe out of the room, only to hear all four pacifiers being thrown overboard. I decide to take my chances and see how she does without them.

Amazingly enough, she fell asleep. And slept, and slept and slept.

Then I am faced with the dilemma. I am not at all tired. Not one droopy eye. Unimaginable. I even lay down thinking I would magically fall asleep. Nope.

I don't know if it's adrenaline or what, but I've decided that I get more accomplished while sleep deprived than on a normal day.

Our bedroom is now clean. (If you've seen our bedroom, which I have made sure no one has, you would know that's an accomplishment in itself.) This included finally packing away my summer clothes and taking my winter clothes out of the boxes that have been sitting at the foot of our bed. I don't normally switch out seasonal clothing, but once again, if you've seen our bedroom and closet space (or lack thereof), you would know why I have to do this.

The laundry is caught up. Yes. All of it.

The refrigerator is cleaned out. The leftovers had gotten a little out of control.

I exercised. Hopefully this is a start of a routine that unfortunately got interrupted due to Thanksgiving.

Last but not least, I had time to get showered and completely ready for the day. Finally, at 12:15.

Unfortunately, I'm still not tired, and not even hungry because I'm not used to eating breakfast. What to do. Should I wake up Avery so she'll possibly take a nap this afternoon? That's a gamble in itself because if she does not take another nap, then she's just cranky because she didn't get her sleep in. Tonight is Bunko night for me...girls' night. Don't want to leave Kenny with a whiny Avery.

I didn't have to debate with myself too long about waking Avery because she woke up happy as a lark at 12:30. We had lunch, and she's going strong again.

I hope this is not the beginning of a new routine...even though a lot did get done. I know about 4 o'clock I'm going to want to crash...

....but I'm sure Avery will make sure that doesn't happen.