Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Mess Making

Here's to learning through messy play!  Ingrid used to love painting, playing with rice and beans, washing dishes, and other messy activities.  Somehow I forgot about that and we hadn't done it in a long time.  But this week we have done plenty. 

I got the bowl of rice and beans out, to see how Otis would do.  He is in the shove-everything-into-your-mouth phase so I thought maybe he'd try to eat it, but surprisingly after I told him no a couple times he stopped trying to eat anything.  He loved to throw the rice and play with the guys.


Ingrid sat by and licked the beater from the cookies we were making at the time.

Yesterday Ingrid asked to do shaving cream painting so we did.  It was way messier than the first time, because I used too much food dye.  The blue was staining my hands so I had to mix more shaving cream in.  Luckily it did not stain them.  Otis was having a LOT of fun!




And then today after playing at a friend's house, we stopped by the thrift store and scored this fun toy.  Ingrid said she had it at school, and I can totally see this being in a Montessori class.  There are cards with pictures on it and rainbow foam pieces in different shapes.  You have to match the shapes up to make the pictures, it's pretty neat actually.  Ingrid loved it!  And it was only 90cents, yay!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Home

We have been spending quite a bit of time at home lately.  Days are spent doing laundry, which is never ending.  Vacuuming up after the dog, which is also never ending.  Baking scones, and having them not turn out, thus going through a bag of flour in a few days.  Reading lots of Clifford books.  Watching lots of Charlie and Lola.  Listening to Ingrid play with her new imaginary friends Dave and Julie.  (She also has a stuffed horse named Tim, where does she get these names?)  Watching Otis climb into and on top of everything.  The days actually fly by and I've been pretty happy with life.  We are going to look at four houses tomorrow and will hopefully find one that we can see ourselves in for the future!  I am so geeked that this is a reality for us now, instead of a far away daydream.  Yay Team Liddle!
Trying to use straws rather than sippies.
iPad with dad.
Still loves his horse!
Wearing her baby in a sling made from a scarf.



Friday, February 24, 2012

Baby Jeans

Is there anything cuter than a little dude in baby jeans?  I think not.  I love that he has huge cuffs--the jeans are a size too big to accomodate for the huge cloth diaper!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

He's Walking!

It started out with tentative steps and has turned into full blown, across the house walking!  I forgot how much I just love watching new walkers--they have such precarious balance, their arms stuck straight out, a few drunken sailor steps here and there.  But they are so proud of themselves!  Such a  new thing to learn, how exciting.

This video is sure to be one Otis hates me for later on.  He has a vintage Hawaiian shirt (the first ever vintage kid thing I bought when I was 19) socks and shoes.  And no pants.  He was wearing pants 90% of the day and I just happened to choose the five minutes he wasn't to take this video.  My poor children, I find pants optional apparently...
Yesterday we also tried giving Otis a spoon and some yogurt.  He loves yogurt and applesauce but hates to be fed, so I gave him a bowl and a spoon and let him at it.  He threw the spoon aside and used his hand to slurp the yogurt off of.  It was pretty messy, we had bathtime in the middle of the day.  I used to let Ingrid make messes all the time and she just loved it, I need to remember this with Otis!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Happy

Life is so good around here, I just feel so lucky to be where we are right now.  For years it seems like Brendan and I were in limbo, never knowing what the years ahead would bring us.  Not that we know now, but we have a better idea.  He has a job he loves, we are in Milwaukee for the long haul, we have our two munchkins that make us happy (even when they wake us up at 5am, li'l bastards!) 


We went to the bank yesterday to see about home loans.  It went so well, we have good credit and can most likely get a loan with an affordable down payment.  That was scaring me, we heard all these horror stories of needing 20% down and that is just not feasible for us right now!  But luckily we found out we are sitting pretty and once we get a couple more thousand saved up we'll be golden.  There is a huge possibility we can be in our own home this summer like we wanted!!!  I am so geeked.

Both etsy shops are going well.  At first I thought maybe it would get overwhelming but I think I've found a good balance.  Toadstool Vintage goes pretty easily--we go thrifting and then wash and iron all the clothes.  Take pictures of the items, then edit, then list as I get time.  A couple things here and there, until our laundry basket of vintage goodies is listed and hung up.  Then we go thrifting again!

Applesauce Crafts is also doing well.  I have a sale going on if anyone needs a baby shower gift!  Use code NEWFABRIC20 to get 20% off all items in the shop (including sale items!)  I have a stack of new fabric that is sitting there waiting to get sewn up into fun stuff, I need to empty the shop to make way for new things!  I applied for a craft show in May, it's at the botanical gardens and seems like a pretty fun one.  I'm hoping to get into it so I can get another show under my belt!

I know I say it all the time, but it is so amazing how far we've come in the past year!!  Otis was so tiny and we were moving to another state, into a duplex we'd only seen four pictures of online.  Brendan was starting a new job.  And now here we are, Otis is walking and we're house hunting and thinking about schools and where we'll be in ten years, and actually kind of knowing we'll still be here.  Sigh...I'm so happy!

Friday, February 17, 2012

It's My Birthday!

Yep, 35, folks.  Don't feel much older than 28?  29?  I feel like once I was married and had a baby I plateaued.  I'm old but not old, I think 50 I'll start to feel old. 

Anyhoo, just wanted to share my happy memories.  Ingrid singing?  That was golden.  GOLDEN.  I watched this video a few times today, laughing my ass off every single time.  She's always been a character, huh?

Making a cake with Gramma for my 32nd.
Eating cupcakes from my 33rd.
Cake before bedtime, great idea!!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Troublemaker.

Otis has begun getting into things in a major way.  Every time I'm not looking he gets into something.  First it was the catbox.  Now it's climbing on things.  My sewing nook is not safe...
He has started walking, too, which means even more trouble!!  I forgot how fun it is to watch a baby learn how to walk.  He's so proud of himself!

Another fun thing is to see Otis doing things Ingrid used to do.  We made black bean soup and he went to town on it, much like Ingrid did at that age.
Mmmmmmmm.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Expressions of a 3.5 Year Old

Silly
Mad
Surprised
 She is quite the drama queen, as previously mentioned. 

Friday, February 10, 2012

Fancy Pants

I have a small fur shrug I'd gotten for my wedding ages ago.  Never wore it but somehow it got saved.  Guess who likes fur shrugs?  Little girls that like to play dress up!  Ingrid put it on the other day and then went about her business of being almost four.  I caught her lounging in bed using the iPad, wearing the fur coat.  So cute!

Monday, February 6, 2012

Discovery World

We took a family trip to Discovery World on Saturday.  Usually it's just Brendan and the kids doing this but I have been so not busy with any etsy stuff that I got to go, too!  It is amazing, a really cool building right on the lake, next to the art museum and the Caltrava.  And it was a lovely day, especially for early February!  We had a great time, and best of all it was free with a pass from Brendan's work.  Love that!
Peeking.
learning about water
in the fish tunnel
hamster wheel
team liddle
february, people, FEBRUARY!

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Ingrid's Lovely Clothing Choices

Ingrid likes to choose, um, EVERYTHING.  Including her clothes.  Which is fine, sometimes.  I actually love to see what she chooses, as it's usually outlandish and colorful.  Here are two such outfits she wore last week:
tulip shirt, yellow and gray shirt, pink flannel pants

green and blue shirt, stripey dress, brown leggings
Since these pictures were taken, thankfully she has gotten a haircut.  Sometimes you just need to see it in pictures to realize how horribly long and in need of a trim it is...

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Such a Strange Winter

Yep, it's February and we have zero snow on the ground.  I just went to let Cody out with no coat on.  We've played at the park a few times, gone on nice long walks.  I am not complaining.  I got my white Christmas, now I'm ready for spring.
looking rather tired
little bear
new seat from the antique shop.