Out of this World!

I know all online love posts are cheesy, but I can't let the day pass without thanking you for allowing me the opportunity to stay home with our adorable creation, eating my bad cooking, not stressing when the house is a wreck, loving me when I am not that lovable and understanding me when no one else really does. You are one of a kind and I am so grateful to have you by my side!

Happy Birthday to a Husband and Father that is truly Out of this World.

Pickin' and Grinnin'

Since DaDa's birthday is on Halloween, we take the holiday very seriously. We started out with our first Bush Family Pumpkin Pickin'. Thanks to Peter's Pumpkin Patch in St. Florian, the trip was a picture perfect success. I loved the unique varieties while LoLo loved the wide open spaces for running, dancing and cheesing it up for the camera.

Where to start?

 Running

 Dancing                                            Cheesing

My little pumpkin.

 I bet I can destroy these little beauties!

 Confined, at last.

 

Alien Pumpkin from outer-space.

 

Costume pics coming soon to a blog near you, stay tuned.

Because it's Friday

and if this doesn't make you smile, then I can't help you.

Aren't they just the cutest little things. It took me all morning to accomplish a somewhat acceptable pedi on a 16th month old, but it was worth the effort.

I want to be just like you...Mom

As a child, teenager and young adult one never fully understands the sacrifices a parent makes. My Mom celebrated her birthday early this month and now more than ever "I Get It!" The unconditional love, the countless dirty diapers and mounds of throw-up, the fact that is very difficult to dress a small child and parents should not be held (totally) responsible for (all) bad hair and mismatched get-ups, putting a career on hold to watch children grow, to nurture them them and try to teach them life's lessons.

I can remember a few of my major breakdowns throughout my adolescence and I am sure there are hundreds more that are fleeting me at this moment. Mom always handled them with grace (and still does for that matter). Sure we had our fair share of arguments and full on hard-headed battles, but I see now that she was right. Watching out for me, protecting me and trying to instill in me the coping mechanisms to be successful in life.Wow, what a job.

Thanks Mom. I appreciate everything you have done and continue to do for me and our family. I want to be just like you when I grow up.  Happy Birthday and many, many more.

Schedule Update

LoLo and I follow a schedule. It isn't anywhere close to the original schedule that I rogued off the internet and adapted to my likings, but I think it could still loosly fall into the schedule category. Our day actually goes something like this....

    6:30 a.m. - Barely open an eye to kiss DaDa good day.
    7:00 a.m. - Wake and get a cup of coffee immediately! This is my only real time to do any  
                       housework. Once she gets up, it is nearly impossible.
    8:30 a.m. - LoLo wakes for milk and breakfast. I try to fix something healthy, but sometimes resort
                      to junk (DaDa isn't a fan of the junk). If I do fix something health, I spend an extra 30
                      minutes cleaning it from the walls and floor.
   9:30 a.m. - Outside. We have been managing a neighborhood walk every morning. Somewhere
                      between 1.5 - 2.5 miles. Yay! me. After the walk, LoLo loves to walk the yard, play
                      with the dogs, swing, play in her sandbox and eat cherry tomatoes off the vine. I try to
                      get some yard work done and maybe clean out my car, but any accomplishments on my
                      part result in the complete destruction of something else by her.
  11:00 a.m. - She is so filthy by this time, she goes directly in the bath. Sand in her hair, paint on her
                      face, wet from playing the dog's water bowl. A mess.
  11:30 a.m. - Lunch. Fast and easy. My child loves corn dogs, leftovers, lunch meat and cheese. I 
                       may or may not remember to pull something out of the freezer for dinner at this time.
  12:00 noon - LoLo nap. MaMa takes an hour to eat lunch and veg out. I was originally trying to
                       tackle all my chores, but it was killing me. Some days I veg out the entire time she
                       naps, others I will take care of the chores that are impossible while she is awake.    
                      Hopefully I will get a blog post or a shower in, but there is no guarantee. One maybe,
                      but not both.
   2:30 p.m. - LoLo is up and ready for milk and a snack.
   3:00 p.m. - Dance party,  coloring book, episode of Yo Gabba Gabba or some other distraction.      
                     This usually gets her in the mood to play so that I can get started on dinner. O' it's
                     still frozen! Might as well play with LoLo.
   3:30 p.m. - All the neighborhood kids are home and we have to go outside to see what all the
                      dogs are barking about. We go outside and play in the sand, eat dirt and wreck the
                      riding toy in the driveway.
   4:30 p.m. - We come inside crying and go play in LoLo's room to calm down and cool off. This is                           great fun! Dress-up, singing, ball toss, cooking (O no! dinner, what about dinner!).
   5:30 p.m. - DaDa is home. He takes over while I manage to whip something up to feed the hungry  
                     gang. Again, no guarantees here - just a hot meal, hopefully.
    6:30 p.m. - LoLo is fading fast. She is cutting 2 teeth right now, so DaDa and I both
                      have to hold on for dear life to make it through the last hour. Some nights are better
                      than others and we all enjoy yet another trip outside or a little floor playtime, but
                      sometimes we resort to TV or some other forbidden parenting No-No.
   7:30 p.m. - LoLo is out for the night. Shew. MaMa and DaDa take a few minutes to rest and do
                      nothing, absolutely nothing.
   8:30 p.m. - More than likely we are still sitting in the same place we sat down in at 7:30. Either or
                      both of us may be passed out. If not, we are on the computer, I may put the dinner
                      dishes in the dishwasher or veg out watching some mindless reality TV show.
  10:30 p.m. - We are both out like a light. Hopefully one of us wakes to drag our tails to bed so we
                      don't sleep on the couch.

Tonight is Date Night! Thanks to Gammy. Saturday we leave to visit Grannie and Grandfather at the beach. Grannie's Birthday! We will be on Grandparent time, so out the window with the schedule anyways. Who needs a schedule? Only thing I need to schedule is some more MaMa time!

Budget Boutique

Baby shower gifts were a challenge with travel and hostessing expenses, so I got crafty. I can't wait to see Baby Adler in her boutique style onesie. This traditional little number will be cute all on it's own, with a pair of leggings or paired with her favorite tu-tu.

 I started by making ribbon flowers.  All you need is felt for the backing, ribbon, scissors and a glue gun.

             
 Cut a circle from the felt and tie a knot into the end of the ribbon. With a dab of hot glue, secure the knot to the center of your felt backing, add a little hot glue, twist the ribbon and press it into the glue as you circle around the knot.

 

 Continue by adding another bead of hot glue then twist and press the ribbon until you complete your flower. Secure the end of your ribbon to the back with hot glue.  

I made 3 little flowers to attach to the front of the onesie and a matching headband, but it still needed something. So I decided to add the coordinating ribbon. 

 I turned the onesie inside out and measured down an inch from the underarms.

 I carefully opened the seams on the onesie just wide enough to accommodate the ribbon, turned the onesie right-side out and fed the ribbon through the openings. Using no-sew heat bond, I attached the ribbon to the front of the onesie.

 

 To secure, I turned the onesie inside out, stitched the ribbon in place and trimmed the excess.

With a matching headband, this made the perfect little gift set.