Thursday, June 14, 2012

Reading

When Olivia was a baby, I was so concerned that she didn't like to read. Ha. I don't know why I thought babies were born with an appreciation for books?!

Do you remember the dog from Spanglish? "No. Never do fetch with this dog. Okay? Never." It turned out that was because he'd never let you quit. That's pretty much how reading has become at our house. 98% of me loooooves this. 2% of me is sick and damn tired of reading kid books. This is because I either (A) have to read the same 5 page book over and over and over and over again, or (B) she decides to move on to the next book before we finish and I never know the ending!

I've wised up and positioned the book shelf downstairs on the other side of the room from the sofa. Now I get about a 20 second break between books while she fetches (ha, I'm so punny) the next book. I've also learned to do upstairs reading (where the books are within arms reach) only at bedtime, so she gets tired and asks for night-night before we can read "That's Not My Bear!" for the 128th time.

 Yes, that is a chair on a chair. A Lamb Chair on a sofa, more specifically.




She's so into using our fingers to point to things so she can learn the names and what everything is. It's so fun to watch her mouth the words as we teach them to her!




Sometimes her feet get involved.





Friday, June 8, 2012

Surprise! More Backyard Water Pictures

There's not much to say. I loved these pictures so much, I had to share. At least she's wearing clothes in these. ;-)









Thursday, June 7, 2012

Busy Bag/Crazy Mom

I was supposed to be making "Spools and Straws" for a busy bag swap with some of my Mom friends. You know, bags with stuff to keep the kids busy, er uh, entertained.

First I decide I'm going to paint the spools pretty, bright colors! I'm already in over my head because I had to ask where the spools were, and what kind of paint to use, and what kind of paintbrush to buy...

While I'm there, I'm thinking to myself that straws are just going to get torn up and broken so quickly. How about non-disposable straws? Well, Hobby Lobby didn't have any. Then low and behold, right next to the spools are wooden dowels! Perfect! I'm a genius!

That night I'm at home (attempting) to paint the spools and straws dowels, when it occurs to me - dowels are kind of like little wooden weapons. Ugh. I feel like there's some kind of list of things that most Moms just automatically know, and it certainly includes things like, "Don't give your friends' kids long, eye-gouging, wooden dowels." I'm clearly not privy to this list of Baby Instructions.

So I've spent the last week stressing over whether I should toss the dowels and put straws in the bags. I decide that the dowels are pretty and already purchased, so they're going in the bag. Does that make me feel better? No, because now I'm already crazy with worry. I saved the red paint for last, and I'm sitting at my kitchen table painting dowels blood red, imagining some kid stabbing himself with them, and the Mom doesn't even know because the dowels are already red.

Never the less, the bags are going out tonight. Maybe I'll chicken out and give both straws and dowels. They turned out rather pretty, especially considering the artist.



If you're the Mom of one of the children I'm about to give a bloody red weapon .... sorry about that. ;-)

Monday, June 4, 2012

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow


See the hair in the baggy? That is not my hair. That is my daughter's hair. It's almost like someone pasted my hair onto her head, it's become so much like mine. I guess she was genetically destined for mousy brown hair, since both her father and I have almost identical colored hair.

(P.S. Why do my eyebrows looks like glowing orange caterpillars? Methinks I should not be doing my makeup under the overhead florescent lights of my office.)


I guess technically, she may have Chris's hair. Mine was blond as a child:


I'm just amazed that her hair has changed so much since she was born. Remember the almost black hair she was born with?


Well, I was also born with black hair. Curly, black hair as a matter of fact. Then it all fell out. After the shock of her being born with hair at all, I quickly assumed it would all fall out. It didn't, but it sure has changed.

And obviously, the point of this post is:


Olivia had her first hair cut. We went to Snip Its on the recommendation of a friend, and it was a huge success. When you walk in, it's basically floor to ceiling child Wonderland. Every inch of that place has something fun to do or look at. Liv really enjoyed herself. She did say, "Done?" a few times before we even started the hair cut, but she sat still like a big girl and got a gorgeous hair cut!

All of her baby curls are now gone as well: 



To reveal a straight (thicker-looking) bob like hair cut:



I thought I would be sad, but I had a good time and really love her hair cut! If adorable can get any cuter, this kid did.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Summer Fun!

We can't get enough of it.


We've done lots of backyard swimming. She is such a water baby.




Riding the cows at Phil's Icehouse.



Playing dress-up already!



Our first swim in a "real" pool of the summer, and she had a blast. We didn't get off the street before she was passed out:




What? More swimming? Apparently that's about all we do these days. It wouldn't have been Memorial Day without a dip in the pool.



This particular dip ended with me, fully clothed (in painting gear) soaking wet in the pool! She discovered how to chase me with the hose, and -no exaggeration- I have never heard her laugh so much!

 (Why yes, that is a heavily edited photo. Excuse the mess, both on me and in the bathroom)


And our dear, dear Gigi found a new present for Olivia. I think this is more of a "gift" for Uncle Jake who likes to sleep in until noon, where as Olivia feels very "musical" at about 7am.


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South Austin, Texas, United States
Consider yourself warned ... I'm "that" Mom.

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