I did it!

As I wrote on the sidebar of this blog at the beginning of the year...

"Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow." - Ronald E. Osborn

This is the inspiration and motivation for my new year's resolution. I WILL learn a new skill/develop a new talent in 2008. I will stick with it and work through my frustrations- I will practice and not give up. I don't know what I am going to attempt yet... learning to sew is the first thing that comes to mind?! We shall see!

Well, I did it! I learned a new skill! I sewed a dress from start to finish (with a lot of help from a friend- thanks Brooke!). It may not be perfect, but it is wearable- which I think is pretty good for a first attempt. I must say, the fact that I have something tangible to show for my efforts is a beautiful, wonderful, gratifying thing.

I just jumped in and did it, learning as I went along by. I found that the best way to figure it out is to let myself make mistakes (all the while telling myself, "it's ok to make mistakes... breathe."), fix them, learn from them... and, I have learned a lot just from making this one dress. It is a start! There is still a lot I do not know, but in spite of that I want to press on, continue learning, keep practicing, and improve (which is a HUGE step for me- usually I give up on something if I can't do it PERFECTLY immediately). Avery wants me to make her a dress now. My mom sent me home with an armload of fabric and patterns, so I am all set! I have TONS of ideas running through my head. The possibilities are endless! I am so excited!

1200 mile weekend road trip

all for this...

Alec and Tabitha

May 24, 2008

It was worth the LONG hours of driving to spend time (however brief) with family and loved ones. The girls loved playing with their TT, Nonni, DayDay, and Poppi as well as other aunts, uncles, great-grandmas and cousins. The setting at Cantrall-Buckley Park outside of Jacksonville, OR was absolutely GORGEOUS. There is really nothing that compares to the countless trees and endless green of the Oregon landscape. It was a fun, beautiful (yet exhausting) Memorial Day weekend!

beatboxing baby

groceries for a family of 5:  $400

heating bill for the basement room: $150

extra cable box: $50

live-in uncle teaching baby super cool human tricks: priceless 

bitty baby dilemma

Finley had her 15 month check up today. She is perfectly healthy, but tiny. Avery was the same way, so the doctor didn't give me a big lecture on feeding her or anything (she eats more than her 3 year old sister does most of the time)- he says we just make them little. So, given that fact, I am not necessarily surprised that she is only in the 8th percentile for weight and 9th percentile for height, but I am SHOCKED that she is only 19.0 lbs!I could have sworn that she had hit the magic 20 lb. mark (that is a BIG accomplishment in our house) - I just switched out her infant carrier car seat for her forward facing one YESTERDAY- I was THAT sure!

So, here is my problem. Finley is absolutely LOVING facing forward and now the doctor says that I really should turn her back around. On one hand I am thinking- it is just ONE pound, what would it hurt to keep her forward?! But, on the other hand, if we were to get in an accident and ANYTHING happened to my baby that could have been prevented if I turned her back, I would not be able to forgive myself. So, do I live with a screaming baby for the 8 hour drive to Oregon we are embarking on this evening and maintain peace of mind; OR, do I keep her forward and just pray really hard that we don't get in an accident to make it a more pleasant trip for all?! What to do, what to do?! ARGGG! Just gain some weight already!

two little monkeys

There is nothing better than the sound of full on belly laughter coming out of two tiny little bodies. As I was walking back to my bedroom I heard the girls just cracking each other up. I knew whatever they were doing was video worthy, so I grabbed the camera real quick and ran to capture it before they were through, or before someone got hurt, which would more likely be the case- especially given what I found them doing...

I was able to document their joy and save my two little monkeys from falling off the bed! They are getting to the point that they can play together and BOTH have fun! It makes my heart smile to see that they are starting to really enjoy each other. I pray that this is only the beginning of a lifetime of fun that they will have as sisters. I also hope they never stop laughing... their giggles are infectious!

Mischievous Acts of a 1 year old

My dear sweet, feisty little Finley is constantly on the move- she is curious to no end. If I don't hear her for any period of time, if it is too quiet, I know I must go find her and fear what I will catch her doing. These pictures illustrate just ONE DAY in the life of our little tornado.1. As soon as she got out of her crib, she was off and running. She pulled that glass (fortunately it was plastic) from the window ledge and spilt the water everywhere. When I found her, she was drenched. I went to get a towel to dry everything and she followed me- leaving a watery trail in her wake.

2. After I changed her into some dry clothes and went to dry up the water, she pulled the roll of paper off the easel and then proceeded to tangle herself up in it. When she couldn't get out, she busted right through. Avery's masterpiece ended up in the recycling bin.

3. I started unloading the dishwasher and turned around to put something away. When I turned back around, I saw this... a favorite trick of hers- mama turns away for 2 seconds and she crawls up onto the dishwasher pulling out the knives and other dangers that are easily accessed.
4. I removed Finley from the temptation of the dishwasher as I was finishing up- I put her in Avery's room with a few toys. I came back to check on her and found this mess....also a frequent occurrence. She pulls out all the bins from Avery's room and dumps all the toys out on the floor. I am pretty sure she has help from her older sister on this one- even though Avery likes to blame it all on Finley.
5. While I was putting all the toys away, I realized I hadn't seen or heard from Finley in a few minutes. I searched around and found her playing in the toilet with items found in the bathroom garbage.
6. I took the garbage out and came back to find her tearing apart a stack of magazines that were in a magazine rack ON THE WALL?!

All this by 9:15 a.m. when we had to leave to take Avery to preschool! It is exhausting trying to stay a step ahead of her at all times, or follow after cleaning up! It is a good thing she is so darn cute!

My newest obsession

I just spent the last 5 days completely absorbed in the world of Bella and Edward as I devoured the Twilight Series for the first time. Yes, it has taken me a while to catch on- it seems I am the last person I know to read these books. The hype was not overstated. I loved them! No, this is not earth moving literature, but it is addicting and intoxicating none the less. I am actually glad that I waited so long- I was able to read all 3 back to back to back without a pause. Now my only sadness comes from the fact that I have to wait until August 2 (when Book 4 is released) to see what happens next! I am going through withdrawls. I am seriously considering reading them again (something I NEVER do). Also, as I was searching for the release date of the next book, I discovered that Twilight THE MOVIE is set to release 12/12/08. Click HERE to see the cast. I am not convinced. I prefer the characters as I see them in my head. If nothing else, they were dressed much better when I was reading... what's with the 80's outfits and the REALLY bad hair in this shoot?! Your thoughts?! Fortunately, the outlook for the movie looks much more hopeful in these clips.

I guess I have to get back to MY life now... the one I have been neglecting for the past 5 days. My girls and the laundry are demanding attention!