It does a body good...

Little Bitty - taking the last yogurt out of the refrigerator:

"Mommy, there is only yogurt left for one body. You need go to store and get yogurt for both bodies."

The next game that is going to sweep the nation...

Our son has been blessed with an incredible imagination. It's very interesting to watch him use it and to see how it develops the older he gets. This past week he had a plan to play a treasure hunt game that he created. After falling short on time a few nights in a row (we had HSM trilogy week, so you see how that could happen), we finally played on Saturday while Little Bitty took a much needed nap. It went something like this...

Brother: Ok, you need to hide the treasure somewhere under one of the circles with an X on it - and then Daddy and I will find it.

Mommy: Ok - where are the circles with the X's?

Brother: We need to make them.

Mommy: Oh - ok. cutting some circles out of poster board. Is this what you had in mind?

Brother: Well, they should be out of heavier cardboard. looking at the two I had done And we need about 11 or 13 of them.

Mommy: Why do they have to be out of cardboard? This works fine... but daddy comes in with some cardboard and they proceed to cut the remaining 9 or 11.

Brother: Ok - now you hide them all and only put a treasure under one of them.

Mommy: Ok... what is the treasure?

Brother: You need to make it... I think some chocolate is a good idea.

Mommy: And then you find the circles?

Brother: Well, yeah - using the map.

Mommy: What map?

Brother: The one I made at school.

Mommy: So - you already made the map? Where is it?

Brother: I don't know. So... you'll probably need to make another. Daddy and I will wait on the stairs.

Mommy: OK... it might take me a few minutes if I have to make a treasure, hide all these things, and then make a map of how to find them.

Brother: Tell us when you're done.

I proceed to make a treasure out of some m&m's, a quarter, a cork from a wine bottle, and a ribbon bracelet. I wrap it in tin foil and put a big X on it. I take the 11 or 13 cardboard circles and hide them all around the living room and kitchen. I put the treasure under one of them. I start drawing a map. Brother is asking every 30 seconds or so if I remember that I'm supposed to tell them when I'm done. I do remember. I complete my map and then start to mark off on said map where I've hidden 11 or 13 cardboard circles. I don't remember all the places I've hidden them. I have to search for them. Brother is sounding more and more agitated calling to me from the stairs. I finish and tell them it is all set. I hand them the map.

Daddy: You've put the couch going the wrong direction on the map - this doesn't really make sense.

Mommy: (I say something here about not being great at drawing maps but it should REALLY serve the purpose just find, yada yada yada).

Brother and Daddy proceed to follow the map and find all the hidden circles - including the one with the Treasure - in about 1.5 minutes. Brother is mildly amused by the treasure. But definitely approves of the m&m's.

Brother: OK...let's do it again! But, Daddy - why don't you do the treasure hiding and map drawing this time? That one was pretty easy.
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I do love it. We actually had a good time with his game and I ventured to say we should make a laminated map of the living room and use dry erase markers for marking treasure spots... I didn't get a lot of response to this idea, but I may do it anyway. Plus, when we go to sell our house it will be a great selling point that it comes with it's very own treasure hunt game customized just to this house.

Little Bitty Big World

Our Little Bitty is growing up. She's been sleeping in her own bed all week. While this does mean that one of us is up every couple of hours to soothe her back to sleep (I'm totally questioning if it is even worth it, I feel like I have a newborn)it is going pretty well and we're hoping it sticks this time.

She also finally popo-ed on the potty yesterday! She's been staying dry and has no problem peeing on the pot - but had been hesitant to really do the other duty on there. But, with some gentle coaxing a bag full of bribery items, she did it last night and we all partied like it was 1999 up in here.

Good times.

Back from California

All was awesome. The kids had a blast with my mom. They made peek boxes and painted flowerpots. They also made me a noodle necklace and matching bracelet. Very sweet.


We had a great time in L.A. No big celebrity sightings. But, we got to see some of the famous areas, hung out one night with one of my husband's old friends that he hadn't seen in years and then ate some spectacular sushi on Saturday night. Alone. It was lovely. The entire weekend.


Now, we're back - I took today off work to hang with the kids (they were home from preschool anyway). I (unfortunately) just checked worked email. It's always a toss up whether or not to check work email the day before going back after being out. It stinks to be blind-sided with issues on your first day back - but - it also stinks to find out about things the night before and have to think about them. Next time, I'm holding off. sigh.


"Potty-time!" is being shouted at me. Must run.

Valentine's Day weekend is about to get started...

We made handmade Valentine's ... which is good since the ones that Grammy sent arrived today and the kids both liked them so much that is there is no way they were parting with them - even to give to other children (she bought them each a whole box).

Grammy also sent some chocolate and jelly beans among other goodies. Little Bitty announced that she had eaten too many and her tummy hurt. Hmmm... a sign of maturity? Not really since she was gorging herself with more within seconds.

My husband and I are off to the west coast for Valentine's Day! whoohooo! He is presenting at a conference, but I will be reading, shopping, or just laying by a pool or something. I don't really care - as long as some of it involves me sleeping in a king size bed with no people under 5 feet tall in it. To be clear, my husband is taller than five foot - as am I - I just thought that a nice even 5 feet was a good place to draw the line.

I'm cutting this short because as I type I am also giving a lecture to the kids about which parts of their bodies can be washed by the other one as they bathe (Little Bitty was trying to help out a little too much). This is resulting in Little Bitty commanding Brother very loudly to "WASH YOUR PENI$!!" I think she thinks that if she doesn't do it herself - it doesn't get done right. I don't know where she gets that. Ahem...

I'm glad we got that straight!

"Mommy, these not Daddy's babies, these not Brother's babies, these not your babies. These are MY babies."

As she plays with her babies that no one else is even looking at.

I think she really LOVES it...

I made this little two-sided backpack for Little Bitty the other day. I worked for quite awhile designing it and sewing it. I'm offering them on my Etsy site now - they're 100% handmade - and I think it turned out so cute! One side is representative of Guatemala with the flag colors and the quetzal bird, the other is all-American. Little Bitty's reaction after inspecting it?... "oh. I already have a backpack."

Meet the Eraser People

Brother loved these (and insisted on the capes) - he even took them to Show and Tell yesterday. They now live in a padded box and will probably not see the light of day for a long time. But, it was fun creating.

What's up with this formatting? No idea. Blogger being funny.

Super Bowl Sunday

Daddy, Brother and Little Bitty just got back from the grocery store. We are STOCKED for our football watching tonight. If there is any relation to the amount of junk food that we consume and how well the Steelers play - they are going to do GREAT tonight. And yes, we are rooting for the Steelers. For anyone who isn't aware - my mother in-law's family lives in Pittsburgh. My husband was born there and we go every summer for about a week. I - of course - have a spot in my heart for the Colts and the Panthers. But, today is all about the STEELERS!

Here is Brother pumped up for the game (picture taken last night - but this caption seems fitting). Little bitty has just been chilling with her babies. She has a cold this weekend, but it's not slowing her down. I have a picture of her too from last night but Blogger is not letting me post it now.

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Funny note: As I type this I hear Little Bitty talking to Brother and she just asked him, "Whatchyou doin' little buddy?" She's been saying this lately and it is just absolutely adorable. She gets the intonation right and everything - like she's talking to a small child and that she's all grown.