Friday Morning

I awoke to two children giggling on the floor. Christopher was already gone to take the Roxtar to school. Quiet, peaceful, happy giggling. After a breakfast of Cheerios and bananas, this is what we're up to:

This is exactly the kind of morning I need. 

Zoie: happily playing with toys.

Me: morning latte with Bob Marley.

Bear: Lego something on the DS.

I'm taking a short break from my daily virtual search for the perfect kitchen table. (Where are you kitchen table???) Trying to keep the good vibes throughout the day. Have a blessed one. :)

Bits + Pieces: Weekend Edition

We had a busy little weekend! Calls for a Bits + Pieces (Bleubird Style).

Prepare for photo overload - you know you like it. 

Is there a wookie behind me?

Cam and the Boyz

(left) Cameron and Lord Vader. (right) Nicole took this picture while I was taking the picture of Riley and his hero, Darth Vader. When I was taking the picture, I didn't even realize the other guy was standing there posing! (I don't know who that guy is.)

Just me, Zo and the Dark Side.

 (left) The Bear and Darth. He looks so small. (right) The only picture Roxy would get in. She was afraid, but was a big brave girl and took this one with her big brother.

On Saturday, we went to a Star Wars Event at Pottery Barn Kids in Hyde Park. It. Was. AWESOME!! (Thanks, Nicole! For inviting us.)

Two little ones passed O-U-T on the way home.

...

Sunday - we had a busy day! TWO birthday parties!!

Nutella brownies for Josh's party.

On the way to Josh's party. aka Party #1

My specially reserved cake pop!
It was so cute, I didn't want to eat it - but I'm glad I did because it was GOOOD!! (Thanks LeBlanc's!)

Party #2 - Roxy's princess face painting

Roxy and Ailani

Party #2 was a 5th Birthday party for one of Roxy's Pre-K friends - Mehar. When those girls get together, they are soo cute. These photos remind me of teenage girl party pictures.
Thanks, MyLinh for these!

...

Today's my Mom's birthday!!! This is me and my Mom when I was a teeny one.

 

 

Happy Birthday, Mom! <3

...

End Photo Overload.

Office Makeover!

I'm so excited about this!!! 

Our 'office' has been the eyesore of the house for a really, really long time. To make things worse, it's not a room I can simply close the door and ignore. It's right between the kitchen (you know that place where you spend 85% of your awake time in when you are Mom?) and my bedroom. So, basically I look at that spot 99% of my conscious time. I'm not quite sure what the builders meant that spot for when the house was made... perhaps an eat in kitchen area? Which would make our 'dining room' a 'formal dining room'?? If you know my house - this notion is laughable! Anyways - when we moved in the house 6 years ago, I needed a spot for working from home and we also had those huge computers with monitors that aren't flat and have towers (remember those?). So, naturally we had desks.

The room kind of elvolved into a dump-your-stuff-on-the-desks kind of room, we got laptops and the room got ugly. Real ugly. (I spy one thing that's not ugly...)

Before

I needed a spot for storage, somewhere to dump our bags when we walk in and an area where the children can color and/or do homework. And I needed to do it CHEAP!!

Here's what we came up with...

After (Ta Da!!)

Hooks - How Handy!

New 'Desk' - $0.99 in the As Is section of IKEA (OH YEA!!)

The big desk was sold on Craigs List and the little one is still for sale (you want it?), so fingers crossed, we'll actually make money on this makeover, but so far, it's only cost us out of pocket about $15 thanks to my handy husband. <3

New eyesore of the house? My ugly way too small for us kitchen table... next project!!

Happy Birthday, Zoie Rainbow!

Let's take a look back at Zoie's first year. Geez - she sure has changed a lot since popping into this world as a teeny 7lb, 9 ouncer.

I can't say this without cliche-ing, so... I can't believe she's ONE already!! It seems as though she was born just yesterday. Where does the time go? (any more?)

Seriously, though...

You were my first baby I got to spend the whole first year of your life being your full time caretaker - thank you. And, YAY!! we BOTH survived! :D

You were my first baby I made it a full year (!!) fully breastfeeding. No formula for this baby. It only took me three tries. :D
(side note - we tried milk in a sippy tonight and I wish I would've videoed it... makes me think you will definitely be the hardest to wean.)

Happy Birthday Zoie Boie. I am so looking forward to seeing your personality, body and spirit blossom. Mommy loves you more than you will ever know. <3

Hair Balls

My Zoie (who will be 1 years old in 5 days!!!) is one brave chicken.

Not even fully walking yet... but a climber. 

 She climbs out of her baby floaties in the water and jumps in the pool like a big girl.

She fights her two big brothers and a big sister back with a sword (she even made Roxy cry once). 

...

Yesterday, I found her weakness.

Hair balls.

I discovered my girl's weakness while sweeping the kitchen floor. She grabbed a hair ball from my pile of dirt and screamed like a little girl. Kind of like how the Bear screams when there's a bug flying around. Kind of like how I scream around snakes. It was the first time I heard a terrified scream from my baby.

Later we went to the park and there were lots of hair ball-like moss thingies laying around. She avoided these with all her strength. Each time she spotted one, she would pull and contort her body to avoid it all costs.

Zoie's fear is confirmed. She is afraid of hair balls.

Bits + Pieces.

 ... a la Bleubird style.

(1) Experimental bang test picture... should I or shouldn't I?
(2) I put the Bear to work sorting laundry.
(3) Amazing thing I found while clipping coupons. Seattle's Best is our house coffee. :)
(4) Thank you note/text sent to Sunshine for the Nutella coupon she mailed us. <3
(5) Zoie's lunch spread.
(6) Riley's excitement at the pictures he took with his new to him camera.
(7) After swimming, I asked Riley to put his dry clothes back on, he jumped on the opportunity to put on his fave Batman jammies with cape.
(8) Family movie night.
(9) Zoie with her Booty (aka Baby Popcorn)

<3

Fried Rice Night

 

Can you guess which one actually likes Mom's Fried Rice?