One Man's Box...

Well, one man's discarded 60' LCD flat screen TV box is another toddler's DREAM CASTLE!...ssssscore! I stalked this HUGE box outside our door for hours Thursday night hoping to catch the lucky owner of this new TV and ask him if I could take his trash into my home. He never came by, so my friend Robin (my hip downtown buisness owner/interior designer friend)helped me tug it in. Robin, I know cause she told me, thought I was a little dilusional about my visons of grandure. But NOW she understands, and is bowing down at my decorative talents. Actually, the castle was so much fun to make, and I've always wanted to do this. Preston helped paint it, and Amelia is helping to decorate the interior with crayon scribbles. It is obviously for HER to play with, but P and I have had too much fun with it. It is a perfect hidding spot, and p is thinking about making it into his new recording studio. Really, it's not as big as I'm making it sound (we may need to add on later with a sun room or layer out back). It does take up a good amount of space, so it will have to go at some point, but it is something different and fun for now.

My Secret To Sanity

We have been soaking up the extra time that we now have in the evenings with our sweet friend Katie (aka KiKi)who loves to come over and entertain Amelia. She's only 10, but she has an amazing gift with kids. Amelia just freaks out every time she sees her (Katie lives in our building, so we run into her often). Katie, lately has been coming over for dinner, and helping out with the hussle and bussle of dinner-bath-PJ-brush teeth-story time. Little by little, Katie has taken on a bit more responsibility with getting Amelia ready for bed. She can confidently handle bath time,diapering, and getting her PJs on. It's been tremendous! I actually have laundry put up where it needs to be, and I can relax just a tad while Katie happily chases her naked little bottom all around the place!

My Kid DID Paint that!

So if you haven't seen the documentary 'My Kid Could Paint That', you really should! We saw it a while ago during one of our Netflix phases. The daycare will thoughtfully place a piece of colorful construction paper with a smidge of paint on it inside Amelia's cubbie with a title like "Expressions by Amelia". I politely take it home and admire it for a day or so. Some of the things they send home are so sweet/obscure. But, the other day we got another stack of pointless(but still sweet and appriciated)artistic expressions, and then noticed that, turned upside down, one of them really was quite brilliant! Can you see the geniusness??? If not, squint. If you still can't see that it is obviously a whale catching his squid dinner, then you may need to have your eyes checked.

Tantrums...Luv Um? Hate Um?

Well, I LOVE them. (Of course not at all, but just for conversations' sake),I find it gives me some personal time to sit down for a change(in the other room). Especially when we're in the "red zone", and there's no point of return. There is no other solution I can possibly come up with (and working with children of ALL types for my entire adulthood has given me no imagination with this) except to simply walk away. I keep calm just fine if I can detach myself physically and mentally. Preston has more of a do-something-about-it mentality. I think it is just being a man, and feeling as though there should be a solution for everything, and definitely a solution that he can bring forth. Well, my solution is to dust my hands of the unsolvable mess, relax, and ride out the storm...now days, these storms are a good 20-30 minutes at best, and about, oh, a bajillian times a day. Well, I may be exaggerating a tad. She's only 20 months old. How hard can this really be?

Nothing New Update

Life is the same as usual. Preston and I are constantly working , but we it only makes having the time together even better. Amelia speaks two word sentences now (go milly bug!). Mostly it is "no,(fill in the blank)". Every once and a while we get a "more please", or "Hello mama". Thrilling. Well, we hope to go see 'Grand Doty' next weekend, and to see their new additions, their three donkeys. We want to see Sipsey too...she's been staying with them for a few months now, and I think she has such a better quality of life there.

Preston's parents are coming this way in a couple of weeks, and we always look forward to that. Thet haven't seen Amelia in while, so it should be a great visit.

Party at Lily's House!

New Trike!

Well I saw this tricycle in a second hand store in perfect condition and had to get it. She is way too small and uncoordinated to get it YET, but I think she will be wizzin' around the hallways and lobby so soon.