In Bulk

Day 266 - Feb 22
My Computer-Guard-Cow. He aids in stress relief (ha).


Day 267 - Feb 23
I had some fun with breakfast this morning. Made hearts and stars for biscuits instead of the normal squares.

Day 268 - Feb 24

Baby M has discovered climbing on things. So, she climbed her chair to see me over the counter (instead of under... under is SOOO yesterday).

Day 269 - Feb 25
We all had haircuts today. Baby M did very well! Took it like a pro! First time having her bangs cut too (they were going into her eyes. Not enough hair cut off though to take some as 'her first curl' yet).

Day 270 - Feb 26
Acting all cute after playing with daddy's cell phone... where is daddy's cell phone, sweetie? Oh, and the booties on her hands? Yeah, let me know if any of you know what that is all about. She's been walking around with them like this all week.

Day 271 - Feb 27
Four pics for today (I couldn't pick just one). We had a busy day! M found out that she really IS a Karaoke star (see vid at the end). And she had a blast singing at the local Liquidation World with her auntie.

Oh, and you know how they say that when singing, you need to 'eat' the microphone? Yeah... she takes it literally.

Later that evening we visited some friends of ours, and I couldn't resist taking this pic of M playing with the magnadoodle.

And the guys... they found the Olympic curling game riveting. Yeah... that's right. Canada won! (Woo hoo! Go Canada!)

Day 272 - Feb 28

Watching the closing ceremonies after Canada's win in the Men's Hockey game (GO CANADA), and M decided to show her appreciation by climbing on the coffee table. By herself. I'm getting scared, people!

Anyway, that's my bulk order of Project 365. For a little bit of fun, next we have a video! Well, it's actually two videos in one. One of M on the phone, and one of her being the next Karaoke star. Well, I think she's a star. You be the judge! ;)

Randomness

This is random... a random post...

I was going to post about my daughter being 17 months, but I haven't done it for so many months that I thought that might be odd, and figured I should just wait until she's 18 months. But I have so much I want to remember! Like today, when she started 'blowing kisses' at me while playing with her cheerios. She did it later on in the day, too. It was adorable! And then when she was playing with daddy's cell phone. We have a video of it... I'll have to put it on the computer later. She was saying 'hi' into the cell phone! And then talking in that jibber jabber of hers, and laughing at something too... no idea what, but apparently the 'other person' told a joke or something. Adorable. I just wanted to squish her! And she's teething yet again. Everything is going into the mouth to aid in breaking out those teeth. She's not terribly fussy or upset, though, which is nice. And she has 4 molars. Four! It all happened so fast! Within about one week I went from noticing her first to noticing that she had four of them! How did that happen? And she still only has two of her bottom front teeth (which is kind of funny... makes her look less toddler-ish... is that even a word?).

She's started saying 'hi' when people walk in the door, and she's super excited to see other kids her age. So excited that her face is all grin, so much that her eyes are almost shut and her dimples take over! And she loves her grandparents. Her Grandpa came down the other day to bring over some paperwork, and was just in for a few minutes. She ran right to him and wanted to be held. Then when he had to go, she would NOT let me take her. She did NOT want him to leave. He was beaming. It was the sweetest thing! I think it may be because she didn't think he was over long enough, ha ha. It happened again today, too.

And then there's the belly button. She must inspect her belly button. Such a strange thing, that button is!

I can hardly believe how big she is getting. She is going through a bit of a growth spurt, and I think it's time to find 12-18 month clothes for her soon. I have very little. Lots of size 2T, and lots of size 6-12months. I have a few size '12 month' pants and shirts, and 2 sleepers. They seem to be similar to size 12-18mo when comparing. We'll see how this goes. I may be visiting the local MCC for a few things soon enough. She shot up 2 cm in only two weeks!

Then there's the other little nameless one. We have yet to decide on names... boy or girl. I need to start getting a few things ready for the munchkin-to-come... and I want to do some baking and cooking to prepare our house (and freezer) for my being 'out of commission', just in case. It happened last time. I couldn't do much but sleep for a few weeks after M was born. And this time I won't have much in terms of sleep available for me. We'll see how it goes, but I'm hoping to make my job so much easier by having meals ready made.

Anyway, the dryer just quit, meaning my fabric for baby blankets should be dry (I heard it's best to pre-wash the fabric before sewing). So, I will end this random post... which isn't really so random.

Have a great weekend!

It's Monday...

And guess what that means?

A new list, of course (are you getting tired of these yet?)!

First, I'm happy with how last week went. I had a few rather annoying items on my Office list that I wasn't looking forward to... mainly a LOT of catching up on farm paperwork. I did it, though! I didn't finish the 2010 farm plan (although I wasn't expecting to, I just really wanted to get started on it and work on the worst portions like the budget, projected cash flow, etc), but I DID finish the 2008 historicals and the 2009 crop analysis (still waiting on the DHI forms to come in to completely finish the historical analysis). I also managed to send the year end to our accountant (which isn't due until end of March), including the T4 information (which is due at the end of this week). I'm fairly happy with my accomplishments!

That said, here is the challenge for the week: clean the walls/doors of the bedrooms. Again, don't get too worked up over this. Just wipe everything down with a broom or Swiffer and use a damp cloth to get those fingerprints by the knobs, switches, and outlets (and any place else you may see grime).

I've been really tired lately, so my list for this week is considerably smaller than the last two weeks (I am so stressed and tired lately... I need a bit of a break. Although next week's list is looking a bit shorter too). The last four items are more of a... suggestion... for me to do. (wink)

• sweep
• vacuum
• basic bathroom cleaning (mirrors incl)
• laundry x3
• exercise (Mon, Wed, Fri)
• farm books (again... they never end)
• personal paperwork
• wipe walls and doors (both bedrooms)
• dust baseboards and trim (both bedrooms)
• extra dusting (bedrooms)
• bleach the diaper pail
• organize dressers (2 dressers to do)
• flip mattress and swap bedding out
• create a new place for baby bedding
• scrapbook 2 pages (I actually did 4!)
• start sewing baby blankets (ok, I only prepped the fabric. I didn't actually start sewing)
• work on cross stitch
• work on kids book
• learn to operate the payroll on AgExpert

Organizing tip: You can get these great drawer organizers from dollar stores (I found some at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and then found those exact same ones at the local Dollarama. They cost the same since I got mine on a mega sale, but at least I know I can find the same ones for $1 each near home). I used them to organize the underwear drawers (everything begins spilling onto everything else after awhile... piles don't stay 'piles' for very long). Now both drawers look good. And did you know that those 'bags' they come in (the plastic ones with the snap opening or sticky opening... differs from place to place) are also great for organizing? Have any items in your drawer that you don't use often? Roll them, and place them into the clear bags. They will no longer spill into your other items, and you will no longer be snagging them when grabbing a pair of socks! Another tip: Clear, over-the-door shoe organizers are great for organizing smaller items you use regularly, like camisoles, pantyhose, belts and scarves. And you can see them at a glance! Find them on sale, or try your local dollar store.

So, how did you do on your list last week? Was there anything you are really proud of? Anything you missed that you wish to put onto your next list? Are your lists growing or shrinking (I think I'm hoping to shrink mine over the next while... this belly is really beginning to get in the way of a few things... not to mention my stress level)?

Last Week in Pictures

Day 259 - Feb 15
This is the last month of working out I've done on the Wii Fit Plus (and the grey is 'other' stuff I logged in myself). I love graphs.


Day 260 - Feb 16
Baby M is dancing on the couch to some music on TV.

Day 261 - Feb 17

Helping daddy unload the dishwasher!

Day 262 - Feb 18

some of the flowers in the arrangement my husband got me for Valentine's day.

Day 263 - Feb 19

I forgot to take a pic until the very end of the day... so I quickly snagged one of the three wick candle I have on my refinished planter in the corner by my entrance. Now if only people would STOP putting STUFF on the candle and BREAKING the WICKS!

Day 264 - Feb 20

I can hardly believe she's 17 months now! Wow! Here she is, climbing the stairs with her toy in her mouth (she did the whole set of stairs. No joke. It was quite hilarious)

I've got a second pic for you as well...

Went to a friend's house for a short time to see another friend of ours that came out for the weekend with his new girlfriend! M had a great time with the indoor cats (this orange one loved her and actually made her fall down at one point by rubbing next to her... she just got back up and laughed). She was SO excited to be there!

Day 265 - Feb 21
I awoke to a winter wonderland in my backyard, and couldn't resist snapping a few pics of the trees on our way to church. I love this one.

My husband snagged a pic of our daughter snoozing at my parents house. She almost looks like she's posing even in her sleep! :)

Aww, we love you, Baby M!

Pregnant and Poppin'

Why popping? I seem to be growing at an astounding 4-5cm around my waist per week. I feel like an overfilled balloon some days! And my daughter isn't helping... she loves to sit on my stomach whenever she gets the chance!

Oh, and I now have an 'outey' belly button.

That did not happen with my daughter.

It's quite strange.

I don't mind being pregnant, really. It's fine most of the time, but I'm definitely noticing it more and more this week than I did in the months prior. I'm hungry ALL the time. I feel like I'm bruising from the inside out. Those little feet are just going and sometimes I really hurt near my ribcage (although I never feel those kicks... I think it's just the pressure). This feels like it's gonna be a big baby! It's so hard to play on the floor with my daughter now. Sigh. I love playing on the floor with my daughter. Getting up doesn't love me, though! And my waist size (at my belly button) is just over one meter. One METER! I don't remember measuring myself much with my daughter (I never really felt huge at all), but this time is different.

I feel like a whale! Ha ha!

Don't get me wrong, I don't really have anything to complain about! I just forgot what this stage felt like. I'm only 10 weeks from my due date (whoa... ding ding... that's coming up fast!), and it still hasn't quite clicked. At this point with my daughter, I was almost panicking. Yes... panicking. I didn't feel ready.

As for 'ready'... are we ever? I think I've just got so much else on my mind that I haven't had a chance to really think about it at all. That, and lack of sleep isn't helping much. Baby seems to think that sleep time is acrobatics time. :)

One thing I know is this... I need a break. I've been running myself ragged trying to get all the bookwork for the farm done (for some reason, cleaning and organizing doesn't seem to be wearing on me at all... I could keep doing that all day... it's this paperwork and computer work that is driving me nuts). It's wearing me thin. I feel stressed by it. And my daughter needs my attention whenever she is not sleeping, so I only have so many hours I can really focus on it. And it's apparently not enough. I've been working on it daily since January started, and I still feel so far behind. Don't get me wrong, I'm not really that far behind, it just feels that way. And I have an impossible time saying to myself "It's ok, Sab, you're doing great, you can take a nap now", or "go ahead and pop some popcorn and sit on the couch with that root beer and enjoy a movie", or "the bookwork can wait a little, you've done enough today. Go soak in the tub". Instead, it's "I can't have fun until I've got the work done" in my head day in and day out. Even if I've worked on it for 3 hours straight (which is a lot for me... considering most of the time that's all I'd need to do to keep up to date all WEEK) for days in a row. I've done 2 hours today... and 2 yesterday, same with Monday and Tuesday... sigh. I just want it to be done already.

Sorry for the rambling rant...

Anyway... I have to know something...

What is up with my stomach wanting me to cram more into it when it's so tight it feels like a stretched balloon? Anyone else hear me on this? It's the strangest thing! (yeah, yeah... randomness is my specialty today).

Anyway, hope you are all doing well! And as for me... I'm doing fine. I just really needed to get my few frustrations out there. Sorry... really... I am ok...

10 weeks... how insane is that!

The LIST

First... for all who are wondering, my belly is popping. No joke. I've started measuring my tummy on Wednesdays, and from the 3rd to the 10th I grew 2 inches. TWO INCHES! That is INSANE!

This is from Valentine's day.

Anyway, it is Monday, which means it is time to put up the list of the week! And the challenge of the week is... cleaning the walls/doors/ceilings in the bathrooms and office.

Yup, get out those brooms and that rag and get to work! I've done mine already. Now don't make this too difficult. All I do is take my Norwex broom (a Swiffer works great too) and wipe all the walls in the room down (and ceiling, except where I have stipple). Then I take a wet rag and go over the 'grime zones'. You know... the door frames, by the door knobs, the switches and plugs, and those lovely areas that little hands like to reach. It really only takes a few minutes for me (hopefully it doesn't take long for you). Although I do have to say that bathrooms tend to have more scrubbing areas (we have rust water... it evaporates and leaves a bit of an orange tinge on the high portions of the walls which need to be scrubbed), and last week I spent quite a bit of time on the living room walls (hubby put up wires and speakers on the wall/ceiling before we married... and I have never completely gotten rid of all the finger prints. Some... the ones lower down... but this time I scrubbed most of the walls and got most of the prints. Needless to say, I just wanna paint).

And now, for my particular to-do list.

To Do - Feb 14-20 (focus, office and bathrooms)

• sweep
• vacuum
• bathroom mirrors
• laundry x3
• exercise (Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri)
• farm books
• personal books
• put up new bath curtain rod
• dust baseboards/trim in bathrooms
• clean walls and doors (bathrooms and office)
• scrub the tub (and baby tub)
• scrub the bathroom sinks
• scrub the toilets, inside and out (I like to give the exterior a good wipedown each month)
• extra dusting (bathrooms, office)
• bathroom drawer cleanup
• tidy the office desk and dust it
• clean the mouse and keyboard
• make farm business cards
• finish 2008 historicals
• finish other farm work (09 historical crop analysis, 2010 farm plan, year end)
• reorganize bathroom closet for storage of baby towels
• clean high chair properly
• prep for Saturday presentation

Yup... it's a lot... and yup... it's about half done. I don't know what it is about Mondays... not to mention that I actually made this list February 2nd and got three items done on it between then and this week. I'm keeping them on the list though, ha ha. Means I have more to check off (or in this case, cross out... I love that feeling!).

As for exercising, I have a new goal I started last week. Well, not a goal per say, but more of a task. I chopped my exercising to just 3 days a week instead of five (due to me working a lot in general anyway, and not wanting to have exercising become boring on me). I've been logging in the time I clean and such into the Wii Fit Plus every day... and started logging not only my waist (I like to see how the numbers are growing... it is fascinating) but also how many steps I am taking in a day. I got out my old pedometer and put it on for the first time in years on Wednesday... sometime after lunch. Logged almost 4000 steps. Then, Thursday, no workout at all (lots of time on the computer), I logged almost 5000 steps. Friday was over 6000, Saturday and Sunday I didn't wear the thing (but I figured out that I average about 2000 steps over a half hour to an hour of walking, and we were walking over 5 hours on Saturday, so I just plugged a 10,000 step count into the Wii Fit), and today I've already surpassed 9000 steps. Yeah. It just keeps going up and up. We'll see how many I do before bed yet, but I can hardly believe how much walking I do in a normal day (only about 4000 of those steps would have been from my workout... I do at least 5000+ in an average day just with cleaning, picking up after the munchkin, working in the kitchen, etc).

I'm wondering why I didn't do this before.

I went online to see what is considered healthy for someone to walk in a day. This is what I found at about.com:

Classification of pedometer-determined physical activity in healthy adults:
1) Under 5000 steps/day may be used as a "sedentary lifestyle index"
2) 5,000-7,499 steps/day is typical of daily activity excluding sports/exercise and might be considered "low active."
3) 7,500-9,999 likely includes some exercise or walking (and/or a job that requires more walking) and might be considered "somewhat active."
4) 10,000 steps/day indicates the point that should be used to classify individuals as "active".
5) Individuals who take more than 12,500 steps/day are likely to be classified as "highly active".

Interesting. So I'm "somewhat active" then. I always thought myself to be "low active". I guess that is where I would be if I didn't work out, though. Only problem I have is remembering to put the pedometer on before breakfast. I find that my activity is highest in the morning and begins to wane as the day progresses.

*****

So, what are your goals for the week? Did you meet your last week's goals? I wish you luck as you work toward blessing your home, family, and yourselves through your lists this next week! :)

Goals are Good

It is officially one more year until the end of my project 101 in 1001! I can hardly believe I've been doing this for 636 days already, with only 365 to go! Wow!

Anyway, the last two weeks have been crazy with activity. I have gotten a LOT of 101 goals done (with one more that I wish to do this month... craziness). And so, without further ado, here are the goals I met the last two weeks.

#15. Have a candlelit dinner (Feb 13th)
If you read my last blog post, you'd see the candlelight dinner we had on Saturday. It was wonderful. I'm seriously thinking I need to pull out the nice dishes more often, just for fun.

I really wanted to do this again when I saw the show 'Clean Sweep' recently. I watched as a woman was made to part with all her crystal since she didn't use it (and it was in boxes in storage not even visible) for over 10 years. That is a long time to have something just sitting there collecting dust. I use my wine glasses and nice dishes at least once a year, but I think it would be nice to use them more often. Who really cares if they get chipped... what good are they sitting in the box? (by the way... I love watching Clean Sweep, Neat, How Clean Is Your House... shows like that. Am I crazy?)

#21. Do farm historical analysis for 2008 (Feb 10th)
FINALLY! It is DONE! I am THRILLED! Can't you tell? I've been working on this for far too long... needing information making things difficult since I didn't have that information. Well, I had a bit of a mental breakdown last week. No joke. Over the books. And my husband proceeded to bug the people necessary to get the info for me right the next day. And I finished it. And the crop historicals for the 2009 year are in as well! Yahoo! Now I need to wait for DHI to send us the papers they should have sent a month ago so I can finish the 2009 historicals completely and finish up the 2010 farm plan! Things are looking up!

#30. Bring baked goods to someone #5 (Feb 14th)
I didn't plan on doing this one, but my cousin mentioned a family who needed meals. The wife and mom was out-of-commission after a surgery that was supposed to have her back on her feet in a few days (it didn't). So, I baked banana bread and brought it to my cousin, who in turn brought it to them! I love baking for people! I should really put this on my list next time and up it to 10 or 15 times...

#35. Have one full month of no sweetened beverages (water, milk, and tea only) (Feb 12th)
Finally. Done. I can drink milkshakes/fruit juice/smoothies/pop again. Ok... nah on the pop. Not worth it. But I was SO craving milkshakes this whole month! Why did this one have to be so hard? Usually something like this is easy for me. At least I wasn't cutting sugar completely. I have been having such a hard time staying away from the sweets for some odd reason.

#81. Organize Deep freeze with deep bins (Feb 11th)
YES! I organized my deep freeze on Thursday, and it only took me 45 minutes to do it (I was shocked, and pleasantly surprised). I emptied everything out into the crates that I had purchased (trashing the few items that were totally freezer burnt). Then I proceeded to chip away at the ice that had formed inside, cleaning it out with a pail (I don't have a drain on the bottom of my rather old deep freeze, so I have to do it this way... it's just easier than melting it all and having to use a cloth... not to mention quicker). Then I just had to put the bins back in, place the items that weren't going into bins into their places, and VOILA! Finished!

There was a LOT of ice... and this was the best place to let it melt. I think it's kinda funny having ice in my shower!

Doesn't it look so nice now?

And here is the meat. I made a makeshift divider using a grate that was doing nothing in there before. Works nice for separation!

I am SO happy that this one is done. I think that means all my organizing tasks are now complete! How cool is that?

#90. Go to a prayer conference (Feb 2nd)

Unfortunately, I went a bit late so I missed the beginning. But I did go, and I did pray, and I did feel better for it. Now I know some of the things I need to pray over for our church as well. Which is good. I really want to go again sometime, preferably ON time.

There you have it, all the 101's completed in the first half of the month. Now it's 71 down, 30 to go! And 365 days! Woo! I'm ahead of the game! :)

Wonderful Valentine's

Happy Valentine's day to you all! I hope you had a wonderful day filled with the reminders of how much you are loved!

Our sermon today was wonderful... about loving others, agape love, and love in the marriage. Love as Christ loved the church. The thing that stuck out to me was how our pastor mentioned the love chapter... 1 Cor 13... replace the word 'love' with 'Jesus', and you get exactly how we are supposed to act as a church. It was eye opening. Am I truly loving others? Am I showing those traits that God wants us to display as members of his church? As his bride? Am I loving and submitting to Him as I should... as I would to my husband... and am I loving and submitting to my husband as I need to? Then he defined submission as the act of sacrificing my best interest for that of my husband... to try to do what is best for him. Not for me. Submission is often a touchy subject since many of the older generation generally regarded it as almost a form of slavery. That is not what it is at all... it is more... so much more... and so much better.

Am I submissive as I should be? To my husband? To my God? Something I've been pondering... and will hopefully continue to ponder as I attempt to grow constantly in that area.

On a fun note, these last few days have been full of fun and planning. Really. I've had so much fun with the last days of Valentines... although some of them took a lot out of me (I've been getting so tired lately... especially Friday and Saturday... I spent far too much time in that kitchen, ha ha).

Day 10 - 10 loving verses

On the tenth I hid ten verses around the house for him to find. Ten verses on love (or passages). One was on the desktop background... 1 Cor 13, actually. I made a bookmark for in his Bible, a magnet for on the fridge, two sticky notes (one on the cereal box, one in his checkbook), hearts on his boots, in his cell phone, one on his pillow, one in his dresser drawer, and sent him a verse on his facebook. I tell you... figuring out 10 places he sees regularly and getting creative with them gets really difficult after awhile! No joke! I love this kind of thing though. I think I should do it more often, for no reason (just leave little love notes in random places for him to find whenever... tee hee).

Day 11 - 11 minutes of massage

He LOVED day 11... especially since his back has been so sore from wiring in the barn all day.

Day 12 - 12 homemade turtles

I made these on the 11th... and I thought they would be easy, but with a kiddo at my feet all the time they took a lot longer than expected. A LOT longer. I ended up burning the first batch of pecans (and didn't bother toasting a second, they tasted fine without being toasted and the recipe didn't call for it anyway, but I like to do things different and make more work for myself, obviously). I did this while attempting to make supper... and part of day 13's gift. Doing too much at once with a kiddo who needs constant attention was not smart on my part. Ah well... the burnt pecans just went into the trash anyway.

As for the time in the kitchen on Saturday...

We had our candlelight dinner (after spending the day walking around malls in the city... for 5 hours straight...). It was splendid! I had it planned in advance (and made the dessert on the 12th, so I didn't have to worry about that one, thank goodness). The meal consisted of:

• scalloped potatoes
• glazed ham
• ginger/cinnamon glazed carrots
• sparkling cranberry/apple beverage
• Red Velvet cake for dessert

... It was great! Not happening again any time soon (I'll be happy if I don't have to spend more than 15 minutes working on a meal for the next few days... not to mention cleanup, ha ha... although I love eating on fancy dishes and think we should all do so more often), but it was great! Baby M loved the meal (she had 3 helpings... and she was tired... and she ate anyway). I even gave her an entire piece of cake for dessert (not a big piece, but she got her own piece nonetheless).

Baby M's meal... serving #1

Day 13 - 13 lovely garnishes

Day 13 I incorporated into the dinner... made 13 chocolate hearts to place on the cake. The frosting didn't turn out, so I attempted adding whipped cream, which just wanted to run and caused the garnishes to keep falling down. It tasted great though! And hubby didn't mind at all. He just wanted to eat it anyway! :)

As for 'red' velvet cake, it was more like 'pink' velvet cake since I was unwilling to put an entire bottle of red food coloring into the batter. 1 Tbsp is more than enough in my books!

Day 14 - 14 Strawberry Marshmallows

Day 14 I made simple. Because it needed to be simple. And, my husband loves those marshmallow hearts... I don't know why, but he does. So, I bought him a bag. Yes, technically that is more than 14, so I counted out 14 and put them in a mini bag he could take with him to eat later. He loves those marshmallows...

We went to my parents today for Valentine's. They decided to do something special for us (which was absolutely wonderful)! They made us a special dinner, and served us food to eat while they fed our kids mac n cheese and wieners.

They set the table all nice and pretty too. I loved it! We got valentine's chocolates from them (I need to hide mine from myself or I may just eat the whole thing in one sitting... I can't believe how much I am eating lately). They had wine for us (I had to taste it since they said it was soooo good, and it was! But I had orange juice instead), and the meal was great! All new recipes that dad found online. Thanks so much, mom and dad! Really... I loved it!

And so did Baby M. Once she was done her plate, she got more... and then Cousin A left to play and M went to her plate to finish what was on it! I thought it was hilarious! You'd think we never fed the poor girl, she just loved that KD so much!

The decorations really attracted attention.

Mom wanted to get pics of all the kids together. M didn't wish to cooperate...


...Really didn't wish to cooperate.

Can you see the molar? I can see the molar! What a pretty molar you have! :)

In all, it was a great weekend! I loved it!

Hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's day! :)

Project 365

Day 252 - Feb 8
Hello? If you hear oceans with sea shells, do you think you hear toy stores in toys?


Day 253 - Feb 9
The view from my kitchen window. I LOVE frosty tree branches. I was surprised at the nice photo I got, considering I was taking the pic through a window and a screen.

Day 254 - Feb 10
Tea time.

Day 255 - Feb 11
Playing with cards... take them out of the box, put them into the box, take them out... Oh, and the pen? Not sure how she got a hold of that one, but she tucked it into her box with the cap hanging off just like I'm sure she's seen me do countless times in my notepad.

Day 256 - Feb 12
Baby M is taking a nap... I didn't get the pic I wanted (the way she was sprawled out when I ran to grab my camera was adorable), but I don't often get one of her sleeping.

Day 257 - Feb 13

I treated my husband to breakfast out (I can't say I 'took him' out, since he drove us there, but I paid, so I treated him out, ha ha). It was so GOOOOD! If you ever get the chance to go to Cora's for breakfast, do it! Really! You won't regret it!

Day 258 - Feb 14

Daddy and Daddy's Lil Girl! (I found those shoes in her closet when I looked through it the other day, and was surprised to find they were the size 3... not a size 5... so I HAD to have her wear them today)

Tea Party

Yesterday I came downstairs to a little surprise.

You see, my in-laws had gone across the border for the night, and when they returned they brought presents. One of those presents was a new pair of runners for M... which she needed. The other was much more fun.

A Tea set!

And what a pretty tea set it is! The second I took it out of the box, Baby M was into it.

Hmmm, what to play with first...

She loves playing with anything that has lids... I have a little tea pot upstairs with a lid that she will remove and put back, remove and put back... and then put something into before she puts it back again and I'm stuck wondering where my lip balm went...

I love the little forks and spoons that came with, and so did she... I was afraid she'd warp the poor things out of whack (or stab herself... the plastic is thin on them) so I removed them from the set (for now) and brought out a set of Tupperware ones that she doesn't use for eating anyway. When she's a little older I'll take them back out and put them with the set.

Yes... the cup is balancing precariously on the saucer... with a spoon inside it for good measure.

Time to stir the sugar.

She finally noticed me... after hours of play. Seriously... she didn't even bug my husband or myself while we ate breakfast... at all. Not even for a piece of banana! I was impressed.

I hope to have a sweet little tea party for her one day... one with tiny cakes (maybe I'll use my mini muffin pan) and itty bitty cookies and sandwiches. Wouldn't that be sweet? I love that sort of thing... not sure why. For now she'll have to be content with the odd bit of cheerios or maybe a cracker on the plate.

Oh... and she's figured out that those plastic things are supposed to resemble food... she pretends to eat them sometimes. So cute. And when I started 'sipping' tea from my cup, she decided to do so as well.

God bless little girls!! :)