Aunt K and Father's Day

I have been a terribly horrible, no good, very bad blogger lately. It's been a busy month, that's for sure! Before this past week of insanity ensued, we were lucky to have a visit from Aunt K! With Aunt M in KC, she was flying solo, but we had a fantastic time, nonetheless: Art-B-Que, shopping at MOG, K's "Epic Ride" from the wilds of Gwinnett to Downtown Decatur, Andrew Bird, great bacon... The visit was all too short, but I think a terrific time was had by all... especially Bella!

The insanity of my 50 hour work week continued into this weekend. We enjoyed Ben and Christie's wedding, despite the record temperatures, and celebrated Zach's second Father's Day. I made breakfast (a rare occasion since Bella's arrival), we had lunch at the Compound, and we relaxed together as a family for the rest of the afternoon.

Now that Monday has reared its mighty head, I'm back to the grind of SAHM. I love the summers that teaching affords, but I have never been a fan of chores. While summers now mean time with Bella, they continue to mean taking over the majority of the housework. Ugh. I'm off to face killer dustbunnies and piles of laundry.

In an attempt to get myself blogging a bit more, I'm going to take a page out of ViolinMama's book today and do a Monday Daybook...

Outside my window... it's shaping up to be another sunny scorcher. Don't think we'll be outside much today!

I am thinking... that I am ready for Bella's 4th molar to finally break through. She's in pain and cranky which makes for a long day together.

I am thankful for... this time I get to spend with my daughter, despite her crankiness.

From the kitchen… steaks tonight... finishing off our Father's Day celebration. We were too stuffed to eat a big dinner last night.

I am wearing... my pajamas. Haven't gotten to the shower or dresser yet.

I am creating…a clean house today in the hopes that I can begin some creating in the ScrapRoom this week. I miss it!

I am going… to the grocery after Bella's bedtime tonight. A long week of work has left the cupboard quite bare!

I am reading… Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah. I'm about halfway through and am intrigued by the relationship between two women. So many things to which I can relate and so many that are foreign to me!

I am hoping… to get a lot of work done today on this house!

I am hearing…Bella playing with the new blocks she got for her birthday.

Around the house... Did I mention the killer dustbunnies?

One of my favorite things… is all of the new babblings and words Bella is trying out. It's fun to hear her discover new sounds and put those sounds into "sentences."

A few plans for the rest of the week: Nothing definite... just lots of catching up around here. I hope to get to the Farmer's Market and possibly pick up a wading pool at Wal Mart this week. Hoping to finally get to Growers' Outlet this weekend and do my long-anticipated Mother's Day shopping!

Here is 'picture thought' I am sharing… Picture thoughts are above... Just how lucky I am to have such amazing people in my life!

Happy Monday!

How I Spent My First Mother's Day. A Photo Essay

Playing Catch Up

Bella's nine month photo in Winston... it was a gorgeous day!

Bella's ten month photo in Oregon... sunshine and 70. Unheard of.

Bella dyeing her first Easter eggs.

Bella walking with her Daddy in her Easter dress on Easter Sunday.

I can hardly believe that May is nearly here. Testing is nearly completed and, with a little luck, all of my students will do well. I'm not sure who is looking forward to the end of testing more -- them or me! I've been in meetings and discussions about what next year will bring, and I'm looking forward to the changes. Being out of the classroom teaching teachers is truly a calling for me. I only hope that all goes as well as we are currently planning. There is still much to be done and many to get on the bandwagon, but I think we can do it. Knowing that there is a team of teachers working for change is comforting. I know I'm not out there alone.

My little girl gets less little every day. She's working on walking now, and has the bruises to prove it. She's getting pickier about what she eats, but she'll still try anything more than once. She's night-time pacifier free... I'll tackle those naps this summer. And to think... in a little over 6 weeks, she'll be a year old. I'm amazed by how quickly the time goes by. Everyone tells you that you need to cherish every moment because babies don't last long... and boy are they right! My little baby is fast becoming a little girl. Independent. Funny. Personality Plus. *Sigh* Where does the time go?

A New Friend

My friend, Laura's, cat is staying with us for a while, so Bella has a new friend. His name is Sampson. After taking some time to settle in, he is now comfortable enough to venture into Bella's play area. Yesterday, he was so patient and gentle that he let her pet him. He thought this was gooooood, so he even got up on the coffee table for some head butting.

Our permanent cats, Luna and Xerxes, really take no interest in Bella. They will tolerate her petting, but find an escape route as soon as possible. Kharma, our "guard" dog, thinks that Bella is good for one thing, and one thing only: licking. So, we have to curb that. It's been nice to have Mr. Sampson around. He's good for Bella. And I think he doesn't mind it so much himself!

Please pause for a moment of silence...

...out of respect for the release of the new Indigo Girls album!

Oh, Amy, those pants. I just don't have words.

Pants...

This post goes out to Aunt M.
No need to say more.
She'll get it.

Happy Birthday to the LOVE of my life!

... and the best dad in the world!
I love you!

Who said snow?

Mother Nature is a bit confused about us here in Georgia. Last week my crocuses blossomed and the camellia bloomed. Yesterday, it snowed!

After a day of playing in the cold and warming up on the couch, we were given this beautiful sunset. Nature is a miraculous thing.

Jessica's Birthday

One of the only drawbacks to having Bella in my life is that I can't find enough time to spend with my scrappy friends. Any extra time I *do* have, I spend with my little girl. Priorities, right?

Well, yesterday my scrappin' sisters celebrated Jessica's birthday with cupcakes and a crop. I caught a lot of flack from these ladies back in January because I didn't attend the ScrapCabin weekend... so I thought it would be nice to at least stop in for the party, even if I wouldn't get to do any creating. It was a great idea! Bella got to spend some time re-acquainting herself with this crazy band of women, and I got to see my pals! Definitely a win-win situation. Jessica was kind enough to let Bella play with her Hello Kitty keychain... which spent most of its time in Bella's mouth, drenched in drool. Bella attached herself to Mara (or was it the other way around?), and they had a fantastic time sharing toys, crawling on the floor, and playing under the table.

*sigh* It was just a good day.

Dream It. List It. Do It.

My pal, Sandy, sent me a link to this quick personality test.

Here are my results:

I took the 43 Things Personality Quiz and found out I'm an

Organized Traveling Self-Knower