Evy Turns 2

Our goal this year was to have birthday activities instead of a birthday party for Everett. He opened presents from family as we received them, and he was really able to enjoy each one--being "two" you get overwhelmed a bit easily. We were so glad that we did this as he responded very well.

Last weekend, we started Evy's birthday celebrations. We really wanted to schedule a chance for him to tour a firehouse. It was just seeming to be too hard between all the schedules, and then I found out that Fairfax County was having open firehouses for fire prevention week. SCORE!

THE Firehouse!

Everett had a blast; the most mundane fascinated him. He seriously thought the bunkroom and the urinals were REALLY cool. No kidding.

Apple Picking

The next weekend, we planned to go apple picking to continue with his birthday festivities and found out from a friend how we could go apple picking and go to SONIC! All is right with the world when pieces like that align. (There are not any Sonics close to us. And, Sheila was able to go and buy milk and yogurt out in the country with country prices . . . heaven!)

The actual birthday day was so much fun for Everett. Breakfast started with his favorite doughnut--the kind with sprinkles. One or both of us were with him during nursery at church(they were shorthanded), and he did really well. They sang Happy Birthday to him. He really didn't know what was going on, but he didn't cry or run away.

After nap, he had a birthday treat, M&Ms. We then made his birthday cake together. In making the cake, he wanted to add food coloring. So, we added the colors one by one and watched them spiral together. Actually made the white cake more festive.

For dinner we had his favorite, NOODLES! Of course the sauce was everywhere. And then we added red icing to the mix on his face. It was fabulous!

Shameless Videos:
Birthday Song



Birthday Cake



Chatting, Giggling and Reading with Evy (5 videos)

Chills and Thrills

Everett: Evy played with one of his friends this week while Mom went to a doctor's visit. When he saw the same friend in Sacrament at church today, he basically tried to vault the pew in order to go over and say hi. He is really gaining in words and two word sentences. It is amazing to see the development. He turned 2 today. There will be another post with all the details later.

For Erik and Sheila: We are glad that all of us are healthy and are excited that the baby will arrive soon. Oh, and we got our flu shots! Aren't we cool.

UT beat Missouri . . . and we get to see next week's game, too.

"I Thought You Were Rich!"

You lucky ducks; my insomnia (currently 4:30 in the morning) propels me to write some thought provoking musings to make connections for myself with the result being a post for your pleasure or torture. If this "hard time sleeping" continues, I'm gonna have to start a new blog just for my verbal tinkerings.

Someone told me recently, "I Thought You Were Rich!"

My first thought was, "What happened to dispel that notion for you?" And, then, I started to wonder WHAT was this person talking about. Me, Rich?

Mentally, I took a quick stock.

The thing I am most prideful about is our post-graduate school furniture (we got 2 years after Erik finished graduate school, after we had been married 9 years), which had all been bought at warehouses or on clearance with cash we worked hard to save. I was lucky enough to have a man, my husband, that was willing to go with me all over DC to buy the items at a price I thought was fair.

All of our clothing is bought on sale, most on sale at outlet stores.

Our only car is over 10 years old and hits 170,000 miles very soon. (Hoping to get 2 more years out of that smoking hot automobile.)

We don't have luxury items. Our TV is 12 years old and is less than 30 inches wide.

I prefer pearls to diamonds. I prefer wearable art to pearls.

I get my hair cut three times a year.

We don't go on exotic, expensive vacations. Well, except for that cruise we went on in 2005. That was a pretty cool 10th wedding anniversary present.

For years after graduate school, Erik and I used to joke that we needed to wear helmets all of the time because all our money was going to school loans. It still does. Really, it does. And that is okay because we wouldn't be the people we are today, doing the things that we can do, without those educational opportunities and sacrifices.

I do have a particular taste in work clothes; I call it professional dressing and it includes suits. But, I haven't worn them since February and most were bought on clearance. I gave most of those clothes away to other ladies just entering the job market. Don't worry, I did keep at least two outfits in case something happens to Erik--and I need to throw myself into interview mode to find a job.

We do have a mortgage(s) for our townhouse, which I can urban-suburban living. THAT transaction almost put me in a psych ward. I am the cheaper spender in the relationship, who grew up in Texas where housing is CHEAP. When all the financing discussions started, it was like watching sausage being made. I decided to let Erik handle the details, he has the MBA people, and I went out to the car and curled up into the fetal position. Of course, we bought the house in a very different time, very different market than what is going on now.

I was going through our budget the other day trying to find areas to tweak, despite the cost of gas going down. And, I was struck that one of the cereals we buy on a consistent basis uses more milk than the other cereals we buy. AH-HAH! I can cut that cereal from our consumption and decrease the amount of milk we need to buy. Then, I caught myself, realized that I was being a bit too cheap, and went on to other parts of the budget.

So, all of this flashed pretty quickly through my mind. And, you know, I decided that I am rich. We struggle, pray about, and sometimes wonder how the finances will work out for the month, but I basically have everything that I need. I don't need much. I don't get to buy whatever I want when I want, but that helps me exercise self-discipline and healthy planning and spending habits. I have to spend less on groceries and eat food that I don't always like because of the realities of living. I am forced to research my purchases for the highest quality at the lowest price.

And so, my response to this person was, "I am rich. But, even more than that, I am blessed." So, when I when I said to the person who was still seemingly in shock by the facts that I don't have a maid or a cook or that we DO struggle to make ends meet like others . . . all I got was a blank look.

That's okay. It was a poignant moment to remind me:

I am blessed to have a husband who will work alongside me in trying to keep costs down. I am blessed to have friends and family who give me hand-me-downs so that my kid has clothes (and looks good, too). I am blessed with an upbringing that taught me the value of a dollar and how to stretch it as far as possible (stretching is so ingrained that I cut my sponges in half when I open a new one). I am blessed to have the opportunity to pay tithing and fast offerings. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to go to college and graduate school. I am blessed to have a family and husband who are willing to take the time to "do it ourselves" in our home when we need an improvement or something fixed (the Sjolseth family rule is we don't touch the electrical or plumbing without qualified help). And, I am blessed enough to afford a personalized license plate, "UT Austin." (love that personalized plates are so cheap in Virginia)

My life is pretty cool.

Pregnancy Picture--33 Weeks

Hello, Halloween House!

Check it out:

Halloween Gingerbread House

33 Weeks

33 WEEKS!!!!!! Can you believe it? Can you?

I am so psyched! 33 weeks and no prescribed bedrest. Of course, I am not able to do a fraction of what I normally do on any given day when I am not pregnant, but who really does? (No, don't tell me that other pregnant ladies can do whatever they want like shop--run--shop--drive for over 20 minutes--shop--go for walks, I want to believe this maybe false idea that they can't because it is my reality.) I have cut back my activities to like almost nothing for MONTHS now, but when I feel okay and don't feel like throwing up, I can cook a pretty good meal and dance around with Everett and think of projects to do that "have" to get done before the baby arrives.

33 Weeks--I can't believe it!

Baby S

5 pounds and 8 ounces (average at this gestation is just over 4 pounds)

measuring at 35 weeks physically

hiccups daily

freaked me out when he had a "slow" week last week

still has a hand at his mouth for every sonogram

beginning to run out of room

(No, we don't know that it is a boy.)

Mommy

As I finish up this 8th month in a couple of weeks and head to the 9th (once I get to just over 35 weeks), I am in uncharted territory. What is week 36-40 like? The doctor says no elective induction until 39 weeks. SIGH--I was hoping I could just be induced the moment he took me off the contraction medication at 37 weeks.

For now I am just always tired--don't sleep at night. I am running out of TUMS. In the morning my face is swollen. In the evening the rest of me is slightly swollen (like a roasted marshmallow, not like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man). A plus to having swollen facial features is I get the Angelina Jolie lips all for free.

I am lucky sufferer of horrid contractions, but according to the sonogram the cervix is fine (in fact the perinatologist scared me a bit by saying,"I hope that your cervix starts opening more because otherwise you'll have a cesarean.") I don't care if I have to get a c-section---but all this concern over the cervix and then I need a c-section!!

Dear High-risk Doctor, Just be happy that I am no more trouble to you, that you will never need to see me again--though it sounds like you are very much like Dr. House and get giggly over complication. Sincerely, Me

Previous to this sonogram, I didn't want to have to need the sonograms. I don't care how many "pictures of my baby" I received. I want a NORMAL, AVERAGE, boring pregnancy. As much as the sonograms were a pain to go to and keeping track of all that goes with doctors' appointments was a burden, today's sonogram was . . . awesome. I didn't have one with Everett this far along in the pregnancy. This baby is running out of room, you can see hair (evidently this baby has a headful), you can see eyelids, you can now connect the bumps in your belly to the locations of the head/butt/body/feet without question, you can see more definition in the fingers and feet and chubby cheeks. What an opportunity I have had to watch the development of life, the life of one of my own children so closely!

OO-need to take a break, contraction really hurts. . . . . Okay, I'm back.

My OB admonished me today that despite all the good and giggly news from the sonogram, I am to take it easy and rest A LOT. I am hitting the part of the pregnancy where I went into labor with Everett, 35 weeks. My personal goal is 37 weeks.

I've updated my Netflix cue. I've given up the guilt that usually comes if Everett watches TV for over an hour while I nap on the floor. I have sitters lined up for Everett when the event occurs (Thank You, Ladies!). And, I should probably pack some hospital bags.

As far as I am concerned, we are hunkering down for the home stretch.

Erik ran into our old Bishop, who is currently in our Stake Presidency, this past Sunday. He was one of the very few that knew we were going through IVF when we did it in 2006. He visited and blessed Everett in the NICU when Evy showed up early. And, he always has our well-being close to his heart. He asked how I was doing. Erik gave him the bitter truth (which I don't always share/talk/blog about).

He replied: Birth in itself is a miracle. For some people, birth takes many, many miracles.

Amen, Brother! He gets it.

The Mighty Mission Five

Patrick Horne, Arlissa Reynolds, Erik, Dale Franklin, Andrea Wagenbach

Erik served in the Finland Helsinki East mission from 1991-1993 for our church. He actually served in Russia, but at the time there wasn't a mission home in Russia (USSR at the time). He was like missionary #26 in the USSR--in all of the 11 timezones. And even though he was a missionary, he never knocked on doors, rode a bike, and sometimes didn't even wear a nametag (kind of different when you are working in a country that is communist). After awhile, the mission he was in became the Russia St. Petersburg mission.

This weekend we had a chance to catch up with four of the missionaries that he served with during that time. (If you have never heard any of his stories, call him up and invite him over for dinner. Entertaining is too subtle a word to describe his experiences.)

Arlissa and Andrea served up authentic Russian fare, the rest of us just brought food. In all, the fare was delicious, the company was divine, and the hostesses with the mostesses had a screen set up in back to 1) go down memory lane with pictures and "guess the quote" and 2) show CARS in larger than life glory. (They even had a special table for toddler Evy to eat at during the meal. Talk about first-rate treatment.)

We had a great time! It was fun to catch up . . . wonder about the people that they haven't seen in awhile and gain even more perspective on an experience that shaped all of their lives. (Really, you have to hear some of Erik's mission stories.)

Whinisitis

Definition: (noun) a condition of the toddler brain that creates the compulsion to whine without any cause or instigation. Typically, whinisitis is relieved with random items or actions provided by the caregiver. No item or action can be depended on for repeated relief from whinisitis. One who is afflicted with said condition is called a whiner. For more see to whine.

Said favored songs of those afflicted are "Whine All Night Long" and "It's My Party, I'll Whine If I Want To." The act of whining causes the whiner's caregiver a long, slow, and debilitating death of all working brain cells. Whinisitis can instigate desperate behavior on the side of the caregiver after durations of whining; this is called the Desperation Period.

Case Study: Everett, a budding two-year old, has recently contracted an acute case of whinisitis. His caregiver, Sheila, when giving an oral history of his health and her mental status, included the fact that she would rather he tantrumed than whined. Tantruming, though stronger and louder per episode, is shorter in duration than whinisitis. Said caregiver was completing family shopping when the Desperation Period hit. Standing in the refrigerated section, she saw some "cat sugar cookies" produced by Pillsbury.

"Look Evy! Kitty cookies," She exclaimed, faking way more interest and enthusiasm than these tasteless wafers of dough would normally insight.

"[punctuated silence which was previously whining] Kiddy-koookys?" Everett said quietly as if he couldn't believe it.

"Why don't you hold the box?" Sheila suggested.

The whiner's calm demeanor lasted 90 seconds before whining began again. However, the 90 seconds provided needed respite and rebuilding of neurons for Sheila enabling her to function all the way to the check-out lane.

The cookies tasted horrible. But, he was happy to look at them (once he finished whining all through the 10 minutes they took to bake) and ate most of the offered cookies. And, yeah, that is part of the laundry in the background. Hope it makes you feel good about the status of your laundry right now.

Keys are Key

If you have a toddler than can reach the front doorknob by standing, standing on a chair, climbing on a bunch of pillows or the cat------make spare keys for the front door, hide them, and give them to neighbors.


You'll kiss me for the advice later.

Duh!

And in case you can't read it:

TEXAS is #1

and Erik won the "Ugliest UT Sweater" competition!

Chills and Thrills

Chills:

• Evy and Sheila were sick again. Evy is taking longer to fight it off this time.
• Sheila is growing increasingly uncomfortable. The contractions are getting fairly painful. They aren't clustering--so that is good. Food aversions are back. She fought off three spiders today with her Shark vacuum--Go Sheila!

Thrills:

• We started celebrating Evy's birthday on Saturday by touring a firehouse. (I can hear Grandma A cheering for the birthday celebrations.)
• We were able to find homes for many of the things that need homes.
• Erik is hanging in there.
• Sheila was able to vote--absentee voting, Baby!
• We met up with some former Russian missionaries from Erik's mission and discussed the "good" old days. We'll post pictures later.
• We were able to watch the UT game--probably one of the very few this season due to the fact that not many have been televised. And we all loved cheering for Texas. Everett now has "touchdown" in his vocab.

Time to Vote

Ugliest UT Sweater Competition

To those new to voting, we have had a running competition since 2004 for the bragging rights of "Ugliest UT Sweater." The rules: voting must occur at a party and/or online using a recent picture . . . must use the same sweater each year.

We had a Red River Rivalry party scheduled, but then the hosts came down with raging fever and stomach flu. So, we REALLY need you to vote to settle this year's competition and smack-talk. (Please vote using the poll on the right.)

The Competition

Reminder: Free Stuff

Some things have found new homes. There are still several items up for grab.

One addition:

The links to other stuff:

Free Stuff Going Fast

Evy and Friends

Everett has had the opportunity to spend time with his friends these past couple of weeks (mainly because my friends are helping to watch him while I recuperate or go to a doctor's apptment).

Here are some shots of Evy and his friends.

(Thanks, Elise, for sending pictures.)

Everett and Everett (can you tell who is who?)

Everett and Benny (they were in mid-consult about a tricky patient)

I'd like to point out the toy of choice whenever a toddler comes to visit. There hasn't been a toddler that didn't come gravitating back to this one once it was discovered. The balls that come with it require a bit of strength to get through the holes . . . golf balls work perfectly!

"Other Worthwhile Stops"

The most astute readers will have noticed that I've moved stuff on the right around a bit. Most notably is the addition of a list of links that I read. I have lots of very tech-savvy friends who have blogs and websites. There is no way I could list them all. So, I've listed several--basically, the ones that I read today.

Most notably is the first link to Small and Simple Photography. This is a photography duo, Amy and Erin, that officially launched a website this month. Amy was the artist that took our family photos this past spring. You'll see a couple of the shots in the header above and here. Check 'em out--meaning, check out their new website! (if you live in the DC area, it is a perfect time to schedule a session for timely holiday photos and cards)

The other links are to people I know and people I don't know. I am not responsible for their content. But, I like them all--otherwise I wouldn't read them.

(BTW, I posted this just after midnight because the cat food that Everett ate today upset his stomach and he can't sleep. His tummy has an "owie.")

Dear Dad:

I think of you often, but today, memories of you were especially strong. Everett and I went to Home Depot this morning. Yeah, the Home Depot near my home that never has anything, is always dirty, and where their employees--as Erik says--work by the motto "you can do it, but we can't help!"

You'd be shocked to see how clean the floors were, how helpful the employees were (like 8 of them asked me if I needed help and it wasn't because I looked totally lost), and how I was able to find what I wanted, though I did have to sit down and riffle through a bin or two for some exact sized screws.

The smell of lumber, sawdust, and like materials always brings you to my mind. Whether it is in Home Depot, in my backyard, or walking past someone fixin' something in the neighborhood--the smells remind me of your "magic." The magic to fix anything, make anything, and just be superhuman in all things. At home, I never thought about the effort, knowledge, intelligence, and hardwork many of the projects needed because you just "magically" could do them, seemingly effortlessly. Build a bookcase--DONE! Fix a sink--DONE! Install a floor-DONE! Jimmy the VCR with a rubberband so that it would work--DONE! Fly to Jamaica with your bare arms--DONE!

No one has a work ethic like you. I learned the value of hardwork and the effort it takes because of you. Having learned that lesson early on (despite hating the fact that you would make us sweep the baseboards with a broom before vacuuming) has enabled me to surpass the level of accomplishment I would have found without it. You allowed us to go with you on jobs, asked us to help with odds and ends around the lumber store, and were "caught" cleaning walls after you threw the paper-route and before you went to your day job.

You are amazing.

I wish you had been with me this morning. Just because I miss you and Everett had all kinds of questions about things. "Wassat?" "Wassat?"----And, because I am your daughter and so I am mechanically inclined, I could answer many of the questions . . . but I couldn't provide the explanation that I know he would have listened intently to in order to "get it."

(Despite the fact that I just had to haul him out of the cat food because he was eating it, he is a bright boy. And, yes, he drinks out of a cup like a cat drinks out of her bowl--I don't think the pediatrician is too worried, yet.)

I miss your finely honed intuition and listening skills that knew just when to ask me how my day was going, even if you had to ask me several times to get me to share. I wish I lived closer.

Just as with any "helping" excursion where we would come with you to help someone with a fence or a roof or a shed, I had to get a treat this morning in honor of the hardware errand and the memory of you. Traditionally, as you know, the treat of choice would be a Slurpee and at some point in the trip with you we might get a piece of cinnamon gum. But since the almighty Slurpee establishments don't have a drive-thru, we settled with a small Frosty from Wendy's. (Did you know they cost $1.56?--wasn't everything 99 cents at one point?)

I hope you take the time to relax. I hope you ask for more help. I hope you know how much we love you.

I love you. Thanks for building those memories with me.

Sheila

At Play with Watercolors & Q-Tips

Toddler attention spans are not long, rather short, one might say minuscule. I've been trying to find what art projects really capture his attention. Stickers do it. Coloring is so-so. Gluing "stuff" is pretty good (I find it boring).

When painting, paint brushes don't keep his attention span and tend to frustrate both of us when he uses them. Today I tried watercolors with q-tips (had cotton balls with me just in case that didn't work). It was the THING! I stopped the painting only because we have chores to do and he wanted to KEEP going. I loved it.

He wanted to mix the colors (easy with watercolors), he wanted to use the q-tips and his fingers (excellent), and he was puzzled by the change in colors when he mixed them (hooray).

The q-tips hold more paint than the paintbrush and apply the paint much more easily which is great because his toddler hands are still developing dexterity.

He was so proud of his painting:

Too Big for His Britches

Right now, Everett is allowing me to watch the last fifteen minutes of the Today show so that we can hear Sara Evans sing. I've got my bowl of apple cinnamon oatmeal in front of me, and Evy has both of his blankets.

We've just finished our morning routine . . . going to the potty is now part of it. Not Mommy going to the potty, but Evy. "Go, Poopoo!" He requests to go to the potty at least once a day. He has actually done something while on the potty, and I am not ready for this.

I was ready for him to walk MONTHS before he was ready.

I was ready to trash all his meds way before he was.

Most moms count down until they can potty train . . . not me. I wasn't planning to potty train until Feb or March. He is just weeks shy of turning two . . . the pediatrician told me not to expect to train him until he was at least two and then some. I'm unprepared . . . and in Sheila World that means that I haven't thoroughly researched books, asked friends, and then created a plan to go about it.

So, I am just going to let him potty train himself for now. I figure he might plateau at this point and not need to be taken to the next step for awhile? We do have a potty for him. We do praise him. He is telling us, sometimes, before he needs to go pee or poo. Mostly he tells us just after he goes. He usually doesn't fight me during diaper changing time, now. I'll just be grateful for those behaviors, and let him cue me as to when he is ready to go to the next point, because I certainly don't want to right now.

Call me lazy, but I rather think I am wise.

His first trip to the potty occurred this weekend. Let me tell you, he was so PROUD of himself. He sat there for 20 minutes, just grinning away. What do first-time parents do when the KID tells them he needs to go to the potty without any kind of prompting on their part?--take a picture.

Free Stuff If You Live in DC, Organizing Stuff Edition

Hey Guys--Ready for some organizing helps . . . We've got some more stuff for you to take a lookee to see if you want--ALL FREE! There's nothing wrong with the stuff--we just don't have room for it and it isn't doing anyone any good by sitting in storage. Let us know if you want it--make sure you see the first post--Goal is to get rid of it by Oct 18th. bye-BYE!

Floor Magazine Rack

Plate Rack from the Container Store

BONUS Items not related to organizing but need a good home, anyhow--

Thermo Kitty Mat: long ago when we didn't have kids, and Erik was concerned that they wouldn't do well in the cold winters, each kitty received one of these beauties. (our remaining cat--we used to have two--uses her mat, still.) This mat was only used a handful of times before the other kitty passed on . . . (no connection between her death and the mat, I promise---and it is washable).

Oversized Party Fun: 10 inches tall, used to be the CANDY zone in our house

Free Stuff If You Live in DC

Looking to enrich your mind, get a free spare bed for a guest, or gussy-up that drab looking window--READ ON! (I'm not selling this stuff because I am too lazy and tired after all that purging. We may have more free stuff to offer as we finish all of this up.)

Erik and I have a couple things that we need to get rid of--so, if you need it, let me know, and come on over and get it. Our goal is to have it out by Oct 18th:

Double/full mattress and box springs (we have the metal frame but no headboard)--we'll give you the egg crate that is in the picture if you want it.

Curtain rod--wood, unfinished color (approximately 77 inches from end of knob to end of knob):

Teacher books--see the pics for the titles: (Invitations book is gone)

Kinder-Krunchies is gone--But, that book on Bulletin Boards is still up for grabs!

Artsy/Craftsy books:

Chills and Thrills

WHAT a weekend! Erik and I went on a DATE thanks to the generosity of one of our home teachers who watched Everett. We were able to talk for hours which is something that doesn't happen very often these days.

Saturday morning, our Thrilling home teachers came over to jump start us on painting Everett's new room. We were able to finish it later in the day and move in Everett's toys, clothes, and new toddler bed. He loves it. He was Thrilled to see such a great room when he woke up on Sunday morning. We have a couple more items to take care of . . . getting a 1X4 for the valence I made and finish putting up the hooks for his jackets.

With the creation of Everett's new room, Purge 2008 is almost over and we are THRILLED! This project has taken more time and has been more involved than any of our 17 moves, including the ones cross country. Erik pulled out all of the stops this weekend and fought a couple thousand files to help us reclaim our bedroom from the filing cabinet that exploded.

Family friends came over Sunday night, and we had a great time. They were super entertainment for Everett who showed off his new room, of course, and introduced them to all of the puppets. ALL of the puppets . . . and those who have seen our crowded puppet tree know how nice these people must be to be introduced to all of them.

It was a great end to an overly busy week. Overall, we are doing well. I am working hard to keep the contractions at bay, and the boys are super supportive. The craving of the week was milk. I drank 4 gallons all by my lonesome. I know you are jealous.

Stay Tuned for Voting

. . . and not of the political variety related to the presidential election (though Tina Fey is hysterical as Sarah Palin) . . . but instead--

It is for our annual "Ugliest UT Sweater Competition"--We'll start the voting later this week with updated pictures . . . that is one of the rules. Voting will close Sunday night.

Sheila is looking forward to continuing her two year victory streak--Erik talking smack (besides complaining that it might be too hot to wear a sweater--he would like to live forever in his swimming trunks) saying it is time for a new ruler! Everett is just excited that he might get to watch some more FOOTBALL!

Stay tuned!

At Play with Acorns

Today we did nothing but play. No chores, no cooking in the kitchen, no trying to push through a contraction to clean a floor, no getting upset that something was upended all over the newly cleaned floors, and no glimpses into the toilet. IT WAS SO FUN!

We went for a walk this afternoon, and I was able to "teach" Everett about acorns and their "hats." Gotta love hats.

After the walk, we took the ones he collected and made a picture (AKA in toddler world that means glued them to paper) and added glitter. "WOW! COOL!" he exclaimed. Gotta love a kid that appreciates glitter.

Oh, and what is that swankily great looking table, you ask? Oh, that! That was the $3.99 buy from my favorite thrift store that I sanded and painted to repurpose into a table for Evy. I think it looks fabulous, too!

Everett: My Morning as a Toddler

6 random times

Camera

Homebound

The Result

Waited for Dad to get out of the shower at 6 something this morning.

Helped to set up the roads and then played on them at 9:33

Tickle Monster at 10:12

Snack at 11:02 (honeycrisp apple and crackers)

I am pretty sure he ate one of the Leaf Window stickers thinking it was red jello.

Hoodie Shot at 11:21

He "clipped" his nails at 11:46

What we didn't take pictures of: puzzle time, running around with crazy stomping, more tickling, throwing balls in the basket, pretending to be airplanes complete with sound effects, chasing the cat, making faces at Mom from the window when Mom went to the mailbox, cooking in the "microwave" during Mom's shower, and using the walls as roads and speedbumps for all his cars.

Pretty soon I won't have the freedom or time to document things like this. I am enjoying it while I can.

1/2 way

Do *you* ever have days where you only shave one armpit or leg (because you forgot about the other side)?