Identity Crisis

You may have noticed I've changed things up a bit...again. I'm just sort of playing around until I come up with something I like. Wish there was some way to do this without you all having to see everything I try. I know it's probably making you crazy. Sorry. Hopefully I'll come up with something soon. In the mean time I ask for your patience. I have to admit I'm having fun with this creative process. Looking around at other blogs has inspired me in so many ways. I've added a new page too. Look for the tab, "About Me" near the top of this page. When I get the time, I hope to add more pages. Maybe one for the monkeys, or for crafts. Or for cooking - we could share recipes! Oh, the possibilities......

I Didn't Forget...

...but I almost did. Lucy turned 8 months old last week, and I almost forgot to take her picture with her doll. I've been taking this picture every month as a way of recording her growth. This month it was finally warm enough to head outside for the picture. Welcome, spring!

A few of Lucy's new tricks...

Mobility!...Even though Lucy's been getting up on all fours for a while, she just started crawling forward this week. Also, she can sit up on her own now. She's even started to pull up on her crib rail or on the coffee table.

Eating...Lucy usually eats a couple of jars of baby food for supper. She is also eating some baby rice cakes (you know, those styrofoam-like things.) She can even pick up the little bite-sized ones and feed herself.

Sleeping...We finally got her back on a reasonable sleeping schedule following her bout with RSV. Lucy usually goes to bed around 10:30 or 11:00 and wakes up for a snack around 5 a.m. Then she's out again until 9 or 10 a.m.

Shots of Lucy

My beautiful baby girl...

I took her out last weekend to snap a few pictures

She seemed to be more interested in the ground than the camera though.

Lucy! Oh, Luuuuuu-ceeeeeeee! Up here.

No, not the leaf.

Not the leaf. No! Don't eat the lea......

Oh, well.

Let's try again, shall we.

LuLu, look at Mama.

Not a very lady-like pose, Lucy. We'll have to work on that.

Hey! No ma'am.

Not another leaf.

Not pine straw either!

There you are.

This one reminds me of the Little House on the Prairie. Look out, Laura!

Cruise Thoughts

Have you heard the good news? We're going on a CRUISE! (I'm a poet and didn't know it ;)

The only downside to this whole endeavor...

Swim suit shopping! Ha!

Too bad it's not like the old days when women dressed like this at the beach.

Although, I don't think I like the idea of wearing boots and panty hose in the sand.

We'll be sailing on the Carnival Conquest. The Tool Man and I have been on this ship once before, and we loved it. A mini-golf course has been added since we last sailed on the Conquest. I expect Ty will enjoy a few rounds of putt-putt.

Welcome, Buddy

Meet the newest member of our family.

Buddy.

We've been tossing around the idea of getting a dog for a while, so when Tim noticed a friend on Facebook was giving away puppies, he gave her a call.

So far, Buddy behaves a lot like Lucy. Sleeping, eating, and crying, etc. etc. etc. Ha Ha!

He'll be an outside dog. Coming from a litter of ten, I'm afraid he's going to be lonely for a while, and I expect he might be barking alot at night. As a matter of fact, he's barking his head off right now!

Ty has been exceptionally gentle with Buddy. He even shushed me and Tim while the puppy was asleep.


The very idea!



His attitude sure has changed since becoming a parent.

What's New

You've probably noticed I've done some remodelling. I must have tried out a dozen different designs before settling on this one. But don't be surprised if I change again. Still haven't found the design that makes me think, "Aha! This is the one!"

And in honor of our new Sunday school literature...

A fish tank. Go ahead. Feed them.

Tim and I took the monkey's to Kiroli park this weekend.

It was such a beautiful day.

Perfect weather for a walk through the woods.

Ty had a blast running up and down the trails. I realized how out-of-shape I am after pushing a stroller up and down hills.

Whew! Feel the burn baby!

Thought I might give you an update on all the construction going on around here.

Work was finally completed on our shower last week. We had a little bit of a leak. Well, that's a bit of an understatement. Let's just say at one point during the process, I could see the ground underneath the house. Yes, the entire shower had to be ripped out and replaced. Drat and double drat! But to tell the truth it was sort of a mixed blessing. In the end we got the larger shower seat we always wanted, we were able to turn the shower door around like it needed to be, the tile was installed in an all-around more professional manner, and all the little trim work that we just never got around to got finished. Yippee! Best of all, no more leaks.

In the mean time we began working full-force on completing the upstairs bedrooms for the monkeys.

Let's see...

We've had carpenters, plumbers, insulators, sheetrock hangers, sheetrock finishers, etc. in and out during the past 3 weeks. Boy, am I glad they're gone. And what a MESS! A fine layer of sheetrock dust covers everything in my house.

OK...so it's more than a fine layer.

I'm just excited we've almost got it finished.

Mom's Top Ten

Move over Dave! I've come up with a list of my own. It's my top ten things you can't do while holding a baby.

10. Fold clothes
9. Sew
8. Scrapbook
7. Wash dishes
6. Use a knife...wouldn't be prudent!
5. Iron
4. Make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
3. Brush your teeth...well, it can be done, but it ain't easy!
2. Go to the bathroom
1. Tie your shoes

Build-a-Bear (or an Owl)

For Christmas Sandy gave Ty and Lucy gift cards to the Build-a-Bear Workshop. So last week we all went to the mall to stuff and fluff. Ty was a little overwhelmed by the huge selection they had to choose from. He really surprised us when he opted for an owl, especially since he is more than a little afraid of them. Anyway, we tried not to sway his decision and let him go for the owl. For the owl's clothes he chose, drumroll please, a baseball uniform (specifically designed for a bear) and - are you ready for this - roller skates. Hey, if he was happy, I was happy. Anyway, Hoo Hoo Are You (yes, that's his legal name) now proudly resides on Ty's toy bench. And as for Lucy? She got a super-soft pink teddy bear named Rosie.

Ty and Hoo Hoo

Ty helped Lucy stuff Rosie.

Lucy gave Rosie's heart some sugar before it was sewn in.