4th of July parade...

Binkie and I, along with some friends, watched Papa in the local 4th of July parade today. What a beautiful day and Binkie really seemed to enjoy the parade! Here is our group photo...



I hope to have a few more pics from the video I took, but right now that's not working out so well. :(

Father's Day...

Happy Father's Day Papa! What a difference a year makes! (see here) We had a long morning at church today, followed by brunch at Perkins and a lazy afternoon. But a nice day nonetheless. Happy Father's Day to all the dads & granddads!

Riding solo...

Well, not really. But Binkie *loves* the tractor so we let him sit on it, with Papa close by. :)

Couch potato...

Mr. Binkie figured out that pillows make good stepping stools to get up on to the couch and get his favorite thing - the remote!

He's not the only one...

Binkie is not the only one enjoying the playhut....so is Annabelle!

Happy Belated Birthday!

We got together last weekend with my friend, Kathy, and her daughter, Molly (hi guys!) and celebrated all of our birthdays. Binkie received a gift of cash so I went shopping at Toys R Us for him this weekend and found this totally awesome playhut. It's about 3 ft. wide and 10 ft. long! It also came with 50 plastics balls...I somehow think I might regret that part of it, but it is so cool!

Sittin' in my highchair

We sing this song at Gymobree...

"Sitting in my highchair, highchair, my chair, sitting in my highchair bangin' my spoons. Bring on the carrots and bring on the peas, somebody feed this baby please.

Sitting in my highchair, highchair, my chair, sitting in my highchair bangin' my spoons. Bring on the jelly and bring on the bread, somebody get this baby fed." :)

Beautiful day @ the zoo...

Binkie and I met a friend and her daughter at the zoo yesterday and enjoyed a beautiful afternoon. Binkie had his first ride on the carousel. He lasted about 1 minute and then we had to ride in the giant swan that had a seat. But, it was still fun and it gave me the opportunity to capture Binkie on a giant rooster! :)



And I also caught this bear lounging on the nice afternoon...

Tractor ride...

Binkie had his first tractor ride with Papa today.

Exploring...

We explored dandelions and other things in the yard today.

A new ride....

Binkie received some cash from Grandma & Grandpa for his birthday, so today we stopped at Toys R Us, among other places, and picked out a new toy with his birthday money. :)

Outside...

This was from the weekend when we spent some time outside.

A week?

Where did the week go? I don't have ANY new pictures to share. I tried to get some video, because the other day Binkie was cracking up with a big belly laugh every time I said "owie" to him. He thought it was HILARIOUS! But...when I brought out the camera to film him, he was more interested in trying to get the camera than he was obliging me with his laughter. So...no footage of that.

We tried Gymboree twice this week and it was good. Let's hope we didn't bring home any new germs. :)

Squirrel...

Binkie and I took the opportunity today to get out and enjoy the HEAT today (86 degrees!) and visit the zoo. Many of the outdoor animals were shading themselves, but we found this squirrel enjoying a snack at the zoo!

Smile...

I just love Binkie's smile. He does this particular one when I sing to him. :)

Vacuumin'...

Binkie loves all things mechanical and electrical, especially if they aren't his. I'm hoping this fascination will benefit me someday in the future. Heck, I'd settle for him just learning to vacuum! :) But first, he needs to realize that the plug goes into the wall and not the mouth.

Another day at the zoo...

We took advantage of the NICE weather today and spent it at the zoo.

A male peacock struttin' his stuff for the ladies...


The ring-tailed lemur (reminds me of the Madagascar movie!)


Binkie on the slide at the Family Farm...

First haircut...

We decided it was time for Binkie's first haircut. So, we opted for a place called, Kid-do's that specializes in kids haircuts. They have cars for chairs, DVDs, and patient stylists. :)

So, here's the sequence of events:

Before...

During...

After...


He tolerated the scissors well, but DID NOT like the trimmers. THAT was traumatic! :(

These photos were taken with Papa's cell phone. I hope to get a better "after" shot later today.

Kitchen fun...

Binkie has been exploring in my kitchen cabinets, much to my chagrin, and found himself a drumset and some new headgear.

Outside...

We spent a little time enjoying the nice day outside (despite still being sick)...

Crawling around...


Examining leaves...


Practicing walking...


Glad that some nicer weather has arrived. Hope it stays! :)

Fun World...

We went to Fun World on Saturday and had a great time. Binkie was unsure of all of these balls, but my friend Lynn captured a few of these photos for us. :)

Happy Easter!

Hope you had a chance to celebrate with family and reflect on the true meaning of the holiday.

I was hoping to have pictures from today...but...1) I forgot my camera :( and 2) we had a minor disaster of the gastrointestinal kind at our gathering so I have no pics to share, but I hope I will tomorrow of Binkie and his Easter present.

I'm pooped and calling it a night. Ciao!

My take on the Easter bunny...

Since Easter is almost here, I was trying to recreate this adorable card with my Cricut. Well, after 3 failed attempts, I think I'm close. I won't go into all of the frustrations and limitations of the design studio, but I think this is as good as it will get. And, quite honestly, I don't think Binkie is going to care one way or the other! I do think he needs a few more embellishments, perhaps a tie to make him a bit more boyish, but that will have to wait until later....we are off to meet my friend at Fun World soon and must get ready!

Supplies: SU Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, white cardstocks, patterned paper(?), vellum, stamps by Darcie's, Cricut and Cricut design studio - George and Basic Shapes, Black StazOn ink, black marker, pop dots

Riding the pony...

If you recall, Binkie got a pony for Christmas. Back then, he needed assistance to ride it, but now he can do it all by himself. :) As soon as he saw me with the camera, he smiled, but then hopped off of the pony and headed towards me, as he usually does.

Playin'...

This pic was from about a week ago, while Binkie and Papa were playing. That's Papa's cell phone holder in his mouth. :)

Baby got new shoes...

Binkie's feet grew so fast in the past two months, he grew about 2 sizes! I hated putting shoes on this kid because I just couldn't get them on, so about two weeks ago, I took him to Famous Footware to have his feet measured and get some decent new shoes. He's about a size 4 1/2 but since it doesn't appear that they make kid shoes in 1/2 sizes, I bought a size 5!!! And now he's stylin' with new New Balance and Sketchers shoes!



There was also an ulterior motive for this...Mr. Binkie has learned to CLIMB his play yard. Keeping shoes on him will prevent this, I hope. And, since he's standing unassisted on occasion, I hope this will help with his balance and walking.

Oh, fluff and stuff!

This is what happens when you say, "Oh, fluff and stuff!" to Binkie (if you don't recall this, read here.)



We are on the mend here. No Gymboree this week. :( And, you'd think for someone not feeling well, they'd want to be sleeping (like me!) but NOT Binkie! He's pretty much given up the afternoon nap completely (unless there is a car ride involved). But he's happy and sleeps through the night and those are most important to me.

Faith...

I haven't been able to stamp lately due to the cold, but I wanted to share a card that is for sale in our church bookstore.



The inside has the passage from Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

More cards will be for sale; I recently purchased several new stamps that contain scripture that I am eager to use, as soon as I feel up to it.

Sick...

Both Binkie and I are sick. I assume that we both picked up the same germs at Gymboree. While we love Gymboree, they can keep their germs. Hopefully I'll have new pics to share soon. For now, we must carry around boxes of Kleenex for all of the sneezing and runny noses here. :(

My shower cleaning rant....

Anyone who reads this blog, knows that I rarely sound off on anything. Mostly because 1) I don't have the time and 2) who really cares? But today, I thought I'd take this opportunity to rant about cleaning the bathroom/shower.

Here's why. Anyone who knows me know I am not a fan of cleaning. Don't get me wrong, I do it and I like a clean house/bathroom, but it's just SO much work. And it takes me forever. Probably because I get distracted, obsess over stupid little details and am just generally slow. But why on earth does the SHOWER get dirty? There's just soap & water in it??? And why is it so hard to clean??? I cannot get my shower doors clean or the fiberglass "walls" for the life of me. I have tried a gazillion products and home concoctions for cleaning and NONE of them measure up to their claims. And what is with the "goo" in the shower door tracks? How on earth do you keep that clean? I realize that water has deposits in it that can build up over time (ever take a look at that plastic shower curtain liner in YOUR bathroom. Eeeewwww. And to think that my body has been exposed to that). But sheesh, there should be a better way.

And another thing...why, oh why, do manufacturers make products in containers with SCREW ON caps? Like I have time for that in the shower? My hands are wet and slippery and I'm supposed screw a cap back on? I think not. And why do they make the openings with the screw on caps on the top??? Am I the only one who stores all their bottles upside down so I can get the product out easily. I have one compound word for then: flip-tops! On the bottom. So my shower experience can be as easy and quick as possible.

As a note: I have one of those dispenser gadgets in the shower to compensate for all those products that insist on having screw-tops on top. But it's broken. :(

This sounds like a Jerry Seinfeld bit. Jerry, call me and I'll sell the story to you. Or better yet, come over and clean my bathroom. That would be payment enough!

Maybe next time I will rant on another cleaning dilemma. Like the stove or refrigerator. Two of my other favorites. Until next time...happy spring cleaning! :)

12 month portraits...

I've been meaning to get around to this...





These are not the best pictures ever taken of Binkie, but the usual photographers were not in the studio on this particular day, and the one that was was SCARY! So, they will have to do.

Binkie's back...

Today was the first day in nearly a week that Binkie acted like his old self. Yay! I really missed my happy, smiley, chatty boy. Here he is digging through my makeshift diaper bag.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Sorry, I have NO new photos of Binkie to share. :(

But, in the last week I have experienced the following:

1) Binkie pouts when you say to him, "Oh, stuff and fluff!" He had a read and sound book of Pooh, and that is one of the sounds, but when we say it him he gets a really frumpy, sad face. It's actually kind of funny and I'm still trying to get a picture of it because it's cute too.

2) Spring is near...I've seen robins!

3) Teething sucks. Binkie's 12 month molars and about 3 other teeth are coming in.

4) Teething symptoms resemble illness symptoms and I'm not sure if he's been sick or it's all been teething, but fever, diarrhea, vomitting and crankiness are NO fun!

5) Baby Motrin really works! And you can take it with Tylenol. (see #3 & #4)

6) Last year at this time, we had spent the night at the hospital and were getting ready to bring Binkie home. :)

7) I like happy Binkies. :)

And that's it.

I made some St. Patrick's Day cards I wanted to share, but the photos did NOT turn out, so no pics of them. I really need to resort back to scanning them.

I will share this bookmark card I made for my friend, Karen. It has the scripture from John 15:5, "I am the vine, you are the branches..." We recently covered this chapter in Bible study and I thought it would be perfect for her.



Supplies: SU glossy, Garden Green, Basic Black cardstocks, cross - Denami Design, scripture - Eureka stamps, ribbon, various SU green inks, Stickles, Cricut Home Accents cartridge, patterned paper - unknown

Mmmmm....cookies!

Binkie had his first cookie yesterday, courtesy of the Girl Scouts. :) He wore more of it than he ate...but this was his very first cookie. :)

Kilroy was here...

I went to check on Binkie, who was supposed to be napping, and found this:



If you are curious to the origin of "Kilroy was here" as I was, check out this article.

New feathered friends...

This winter we had some new visitors to our feeders, the Common Redpoll. It looks like a cross between the American Goldfinch and the House Finch. I think he's pretty cute with his little red cap.

Oh, we're goin' for a ride...

Goin' ridin' in a car...Apparently Binkie isn't the only one that likes his new car. :)

Little Beethoven...

Binkie was playing the piano today, with Papa's help, of course. He smiled all the while, pounding on the keys. How cute! I hope he puts that piano to good use someday! :)

This one's for you!

Binkie decided he needed to climb the stairs today with a margarita glass. He was quite proud to make it up with the glass and a small brush (but lost the brush somewhere along the way...)


NOTE: the glass isn't really glass, it's made of plastic. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Happy birthday to you...happy birthday to you...happy birthday dear Binkie...happy birthday to you!!!!!!!!! We love you!!!! :)



Some dear friends from "work" (people who still work where I used to) sent Binkie these balloons and bear for his birthday. How SWEET! :)

More birthday fun to come...there are lots of pictures to weed through and edit and maybe even a video or two!

Wanna ride?

Binkie got a new set of wheels for his birthday from Grandma. :)

The party...

We celebrated the BIG "1" this past weekend. Where did a year go???

The cake...

The presents...

And a better picture of Binkie and Uncle Craig...

This 'n that...

A bit of total randomness today...

First, this cute photo from Valentine's Day.



Next, Papa brought home this basket from work that contained cards I used to sell. But since he's not there to sell them, none of them have sold...anyway...I had it on my desk and 'little missy' tried to fit her oversized cat body into it. This was how well she succeeded.



And lastly, this was another Valentine I made. I never did sent it to anyone so it's been tucked away for next year. But I thought I'd share anyway.



Supplies: Paper - Basic Grey, Card stock - Bazzill, generic white, ribbon - Michaels, punch - Martha Stewart, Marvy heart punchs, stamps - SU, stickers - K&Co., Cuttlebug embossing folder - Swiss dots

11 month portrait...

Here's the 11 month portrait :)

I'm a winner!

I was so excited to get an email from Oh My Crafts today to find out that two of my three card entries for their Valentine's card contest won! You can see my entries here. :) The two pink/brown cards were the winners.

Valentine's...

Happy Valentine's Day! This morning I woke up and found this: (Papa found the shirt at Target)

And this:

And I made Papa this card:

The text reads: "To the world you're just one person, but to me you are the world." Pretty much sums it up for me! :)

Supplies: Cardstock - SU Rose Red, Patterned Paper - Basic Grey Bittersweet Raspberry Cream, Solar Crest White, Wausau Black, ribbon - Michael's, brads - SU, Paper Inspirations - heart stamp, text - Penny Black, Ink - SU Rose Red, StazOn Black, Nestabilities Large Lables

Playing with Papa's shoe...

Binkie loves shoe laces and Papa's shoe is no exception!

Saturday...

Not much to report today, just an average day. Although the temps in the 50's were pretty nice. Bye-bye snow! (Which figures, because I just found a "baby" sled, and now we won't have any snow to try it in.)

Beads...

Binkie found these beads in my studio to play with and put them on himself, "Rambo" style. It's hard to take pictures of him these days because as soon as he sees the camera, he immediately starts charging towards it, hence the extreme close up here.

P.S. This is my 200th post. Yay!

Playtime...

We went by a friend's house yesterday and had some fun playing.

Submitted...

I submitted these cards for publication. Wish me luck!

Basket full of kitty...

I got this basket recently as a gift and found this sleeping in it today:



Silly kitty!

Fluffles and the snail...

I made this thank you card for a friend. This card features, Fluffles that cat and he sure is a cutie. I've been spending a lot of time being crafty lately. Must be the Cricut and the cold weather. :)

Products used: Pink cardstock (unknown), Stampin' Up! Whisper White card stock, StazOn Black ink, Stampin' Up! markers, Dove blender, Stampin' Up! Much Appreciated set, Marvy Uchida punches, pattered paper - Me and My Big Ideas, ribbon - Walmart, Stickles Startdust.

Friday...

I'm not sure what was so funny about his shoe, but I caught this moment in time this morning while we were playing.

Stair master..

Yesterday Binkie climbed up a full flight of stairs for the very first time. Prior to this, he wasn't able to get past the first one or two. Since I was spotting him all the way up the stairs, I didn't get a shot of him in the process, but this was after he reached the top. Papa, this means that you NEED to install those baby gates!!

More new Cricut toys...

I celebrated my 29th birthday again :) in the past week or so and was lucky enough to receive two new additions to my current Cricut obsession - a jukebox and the Design Studio software. I am so exicted!!!

Look Mom, no pants!

Binkie was playing very nicely by himself yesterday and when I went to check on him, this is what I found.

Apparently, he somehow crawled out of his britches. It didn't seem to bother him in the least, we was very content to be playing half dressed!

Christmas cleanup

We didn't take our tree down until this past weekend, so there's what was left and here's Binkie helping! :)

10 months....

As promised, here are the 10 month portraits.




And the cutest one of all...

'Round and 'round...

Annabelle enjoys one of the toys Binkie got for Christmas...she's fascinated by the balls that spin around in the choo-choo. :)

Having fun...

Binkie and Papa having fun...

10 months...

I sort of abandoned the monthly onesies and bear pics, because I've been so busy, and I haven't done the onesie for 10 months either, but I thought I could at least drag Monthly out of the bedroom and get a quick picture. It's not easy photographing Binkie lately, at 10 months he's VERY active and will rarely sit still, much less to pose with a bear for a photo! But, for what it's worth...here they are. I hope to scan in the 10 month portraits tomorrow, you won't believe the cute picture I have!

A pony for Christmas...

Binkie got this bounce and spin pony for Christmas. We thought he would love it because he LOVES to bounce and jump. The only problem is he's a little too short for it yet, so we have to hold on to him when he wants to ride. And if you look really, really carefully, you might see his first tooth that finally broke through. :)

My new toy...

I made this card using my new Cricut Expression. For those of you know don't know what a Cricut is, it's an electronic personal die cutting machine. And it's AWESOME! A friend came over with her cartridges and we made this card together. I just love this thing!

Happy New Year!

Well, we made it! :) We wish you a blessed, safe, and healthy new year!

We started off the new year with pancakes made by Papa. Yum....



Last night, we had our traditional new year's fare, Fettuccine Roberto, which is pretty much fettuccine alfredo with shrimp, but we also added some beef tenderloins on the side. Delish!



Here is the recipe. It's from the garlic lovers cookbook and it's loaded with it!

FETTUCCINE ROBERTO
1 lb. Fettuccine noodles
½ C. oil
¼ lb. butter
24 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1 lb. fresh jumbo shrimp, butterflied
1 C. chopped fresh parsley
2 C. cups chopped fresh mushrooms
1 C. chopped green onions
1 tablespoon red pepper
2 tablespoons flour
½ cup dry white wine
1 pint heavy cream
1 small wedge (about 5 oz.) Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt to taste

1. Cook noodles according to package directions in boiling water with oil.
2. While noodles are cooking, melt butter in large skillet over medium high heat.
3. Add chopped garlic and shrimp; cook until shrimp turn pink, but do not allow garlic to turn brown.
4. Add parsley, mushrooms, onions and red pepper; sauté for I minute.
5. Add flour, mix thoroughly and add wine.
6. Simmer for about 30 seconds, then add cream and heat through.
7. Drain noodles and add to sauce with half the grated cheese.
8. Fold in gently until noodles are well coated and cheese is melted. Salt lightly.
9. If sauce is too thin, continue heating until sauce reduces to a creamy consistency. If sauce is too thick, add cream.
10. Garnish with chopped parsley and additional grated cheese and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

New Year's Eve...

We're having a quiet New Year's celebration at our house tonight. It looks like Binkie is already starting his celebrating!



NOTE: This was only a photo op - he didn't actually have any of the beer. Do you think I'm that crazy?! Don't answer that...

Binkie and the bow...

We had dinner at Olive Garden with my friends Kathy and Molly today and exchanged gifts. We put this big, silver bow on Binkie's head. Cute! Thank you so much, and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Kathy & Molly! :)

More Christmas Day...

Here's a awesome pic of Binkie and Papa on Christmas Day. My two boys :)

Christmas Day...

Our Christmas day was spent opening presents, eating waffles (thanks, Papa!) and sitting in the car on the long drive to Uncle Ron's house (but it was a quiet drive, thank you Binkie!). Here is one of the best shots of Binkie attempting to open one of his Christmas presents. He did pretty well considering his age. Mommy & Daddy helped to speed things along or we'd probably still be opening presents!

Merry Christmas...

We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

As we celebrate the birth of our Savior, we hope that you will take time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. May love, peace and joy be yours this Christmas and New Year.

With Santa...

This was taken yesterday at the mall...we finally got to see Santa!

Waiting for the storm....

We're expecting quite the snow storm and snow fall over the next few days....it will be interesting being stuck in the house with Binkie for the next few days....but at least he was pretty happy today. :)

Binkie & Uncle Craig...

We celebrated my mom's birthday over the weekend. Here'a picture of Binkie with my brother. I know, it's another blurry one, but it's cute and one of the very few pictures I have of the two them. And my friend, RC, made an interesting comment about birthday photos recently and find myself doing the same thing - only the kid is getting the photo op and not the birthday boy/girl. Sorry, Mom!

One week to go!

Nothing like stating the obvious, but Christmas Day is a week from today! Does that scare any of you? I for one, am quite relaxed this year. We are not having any Christmas gatherings at our house this year so I've kept things real simple around the house. Not to mention keeping things simple means less things for Mr. Binkie to get into. :) Here's a picture of Binkie and Daddy with the family Christmas tree. It's blurry, I know, I'm not sure what's going on with the camera if it's the batteries (rechargeable) or what. Maybe Santa will bring me a new one...it's on my list! :)

Reindeer games...

OK, so I know these technically aren't reindeer, but we had a visit from these 3 deer to the yard on Tuesday. It was so cool! I keep a large "bucket" in the bird garden and keep corn in it for the various critters (squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, turkeys, possums and deer) that visit the yard. Not only do the deer eat from the bucket but they also eat right from the bird feeders themselves! Quite interesting.

Abu Dhabi....

If there are any Garfield fans out there...you may remember Nermal, the world's cutest kitten, and Garfield's nemesis. Garfield would frequently try to pack him in a box and send him to Abu Dhabi (which, if you are curious, is in the United Arab Emirates on the Persian Gulf). So, after I received a rather large box from my Pampered Chef party, I put Binkie in it to play and it reminded me of the Garfield cartoon. And, no, I wouldn't even consider sending Binkie to Abu Dhabi or any place else for that matter, in case you were wondering, so put down the phone to social services!!! It was a joke!!!

Condolences...

Remember the lady from Bible study I made the card for whose son had cancer? (If not, go here.) I received the sad news over the weekend that he passed away. His web site is here. I donated most of the cookies I received from my cookie exchange to her as she had requested some if people had extras as she won't be baking this year, but they would bring her much joy. I hope that this small gesture can bring her and her family some comfort and joy during this difficult time. My heart goes out to them... :(

Gift card holder...

I made this gift card holder for one of Binkie's many
"aunties". I got the idea and template instructions from HERE. This was a challenge issued from Papertrey Ink co-owner and this particular design was from one of the design team members. The lighting was bad for this picture, but it gives you the basic idea.

{Paper is Basic Grey and ribbon is from Michaels}

9 month portraits...

Here are the 9 month portraits. There is one additional one that was taken, but because that is going to be our Christmas card, I am not posting it so it won't spoil the surprise for y'all. :)

8 month portraits...

I had these taken on time, but was delayed in getting them scanned in. So, here they are. Halloween seems so long ago...

Happy St.Nick!

St. Nick was a tradition that my parents observed when I was a kid and so I have been looking forward to carrying on that tradition on with Binkie. So, this morning, his stocking was filled (sort of) with "The Night Before Christmas" board book and a large Tonka truck (although not really in the stocking since it was too big). I know that he doesn't understand this tradition yet, but I hope in the years to come, he will have fond memories of filled stockings by the fireplace on St. Nick morn. Oh, and mommy & daddy had gifts in their stockings too, thanks to LL Bean!

Thirteen dozen...

I'm going to a cookie exchange tomorrow and we have to bring 13 dozen cookies! And in case you are wondering, that's 156 cookies. Ugh! Not easy to do with a youngin'. This year's theme (the first time we've ever had a theme) was they couldn't be "plain" or brown. Thanks to Papa for all of this help...he did most of the actual baking. I made the dough in the afternoon when Binkie was napping. :)

Peppermint Pinwheels
1 recipe Basic Sliced Cookies
¾ t. peppermint extract
½ t. red food coloring.

Prepare dough for Basic Sliced Coolies as directed. Divide dough in half. Set 1 portion aside. To the remaining portion knead in peppermint extract and food coloring. To shape dough, between 2 sheets of waxed paper roll each portion into a 12x11 inch rectangle. Remove top sheets of waxed paper from plain and pink doughs. Invert plain dough on top of pink dough. Peel off top sheet of paper. From the long side, roll up jelly-roll style, removing bottom sheet of paper as you roll. Cut roll crosswise in half, then wrap and chill for 4 to 24 hours. Slice, bake, and cool as directed. Makes about 48.

Basic Sliced Cookies
½ c. shortening
½ c. margarine or butter
3 c. all purpose flour
1 c. sugar
1 egg
2 T. milk
1 t. vanilla
½ t. baking soda
¼ t. salt

In a mixing bowl beat shortening and margarine or butter on medium speed about 30 seconds or until softened. Add about half of the flour, sugar, egg, milk, vanilla, baking soda and salt to the shortening mixture. Beat until thoroughly combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Then beat or stir in the remaining flour. Shape dough into two 8 inch rolls. Wrap in wax paper or clear plastic wrap and chill for 4 to 24 hours. Cut dough into ¼ inch thick slices. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned. Remove cookies and cool on a wire rack. Makes about 60.

Catching up...

It's been over a week since the last post...geez. How time flies. In that time we've celebrated Thanksgiving and Binkie is in an all out crawl and pulling himself up on everything. Imagine my surprise on Monday when he was supposedly "napping" for 3 hours. Well, I had to go check on him because he NEVER naps that long, and I find him standing up in his crib! Needless to say, we had to drop the mattress ALL THE WAY DOWN. We've also added two play yards to the living room to keep Binkie contained. And today he crawled over to his partially finished bottle, grabbed it, rolled onto his back and proceeded to feed himself the rest of the bottle. I was totally amazed at that! We've tried the sippy cup again too, but that is going to take some more work. He's very confused about it.

I've also been busy with church functions. I've made a bunch of cards for church and an additional card for a lady in my Bible study whose son is dying of cancer.

Our power was out for a couple of hours yesterday and I thought my chances of baking for our last Women's ministry event for the year were foiled, but God is good (all the time) and I still managed to get cookies baked in the afternoon. Thank you Pampered Chef! Oh, and I found the earring that I thought was lost forever too. :) So that's what's been going on here...

ETA: The stamps used here are from Rubber Stamp Tapestry and the card a Fabriano note card. Inks are Versamark (color) and Stampin' Up (black). This design is my favorite and standby design for many types of cards because I have many RST sets and it's versatile and quick! Can't get any better than that. :)

The sickness and snowfall...

This is Day 4 of the real sickness. I think Binkie's getting better, but the nights are tough. This is worse than when he was a baby. Getting up 3, 4, 5, 6 times a night. Rough, I tell you. We see the doctor tomorrow for a scheduled checkup, I hope he can help some way, somehow. Poor Binkie. :( He did find energy to place with the cat bed today, though.



We had our first "real" snowfall and this is a picture from my backyard.

Binkie's first cold...

No pictures today, but Binkie has his first cold. Mostly a cough and a slight runny nose, so nothing too serious. But I feel for him. Get well soon, Binkie! xoxoxo

Watching the snow...

We had a little snow flurry this afternoon so Binkie and I watched from the cozy indoors. The windows look "dirty" in the photo, but it's actually the snow coming down!

Thanksgiving came early to my house...

Yesterday I peaked out the window and what to my wondering eye should appear...
but a yard full of turkeys and some of them with beards! OK, that was REALLY corny, but I never said I was a poet, much less a good one. Oh and technically a group of turkeys is called a rafter or gang. I googled it. :)

We have crawlage..

Binkie is on the move. It's not the perfect crawl motion yet, but more of a military crawl. He can do the "stance" but when it comes to motion, the belly goes down. I suspect it won't be long before he has perfected the crawl.

Look what I made!

The author of one of the blogs I follow, a little bit of me, made these cute "burpies" and I really wanted to try one. The instructions can be found HERE. So I dusted off my sewing machine (it's probably been 13 years or so...) and thought I'd give this a try. It looked super easy and a good way for me to make something useful and not having to worry if I messed it up. I'm pretty happy with it. Binkie seemed it like it too! :) {All fabric and cloth diapers were from Walmart}

I've been blinged!

This is a first for me - I've been blog blinged! My good friend, RC sent me some blog bling. I'm new at this so here's my best attempt.

First, the rules:

1. Link to the person or persons who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them. (If you received an award, consider yourself linked.)
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog. (I’ll try!)
6.Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

OK, so I've linked back to RC's blog above, check. Posted the rules, check. Write 6 random things about myself, check.
1. I don't think I have 6 friends that blog to tag!
2. Despite all the recent complaints about the weather turning cold and snowy, I'm not bothered by it!
3. My cat, Charlie, had his teeth cleaned today.
4. I had a massage today! :)
5. I hate messiness and clutter.
6. Puffs is my favorite brand of facial tissue. (Talk about random things...)

As mentioned in the random things about me....I'll have to work on tagging 6 people. If you happen to hop to any of the blogs on my blog roll, none of those people actually know me. I just lurk into their lives! Well I take that back. Karen at Paper Delights and I've met Anna Wight at Sassy & Sweet Notes. Hmmm....

So, that's me today. Thanks, RC! :)

Yogurt face....

I bought some peach yogurt for Binkie to try since he's sampled my yogurt, and seemed to like it, but I read that babies should have whole milk yogurt and not fat free or low fat. So I bought him is very own organic peach yogurt. He made the funniest face (sorry, I didn't capture that one)on the first couple of tastes, and this was the end result. I'm actually pretty impressed since this didn't take place in the high chair AND without a bib! It's only on the face and not on the clothes! :)

Election day...

This is Binkie's first election and he did his part by voting. (Well, not really as you know he really can't vote yet...)

Happy baby...

Just a quick shot from this afternoon of Binkie playing with Daddy's hat again. I think Binkie is struggling a bit with the daylight savings time change and has been a bit cranky and his sleep schedule is a bit messed up. It will all iron out in time, but in the meantime, I look for ways to keep him occupied and happy until bedtime! He's not the only one though, as I've been feeling pretty tired as well. So we are both off to bed a bit earlier than normal tonight. Maybe it will be better in spring???

Trick or treat...

Binkie experienced his first trick or treat tonight. We only went to a few of the neighbors houses because 1) I didn't want to haul him in the stroller, so I carried him 2) it was getting close to his dinner time and 3) he really doesn't care about it and can't eat any of the goodies anyway! But it was fun.

Binkie and the Great Pumpkins...

We're a little late at getting to this this year, but Binkie got his first pumpkin. Given that Halloween is tomorrow, I only had time to get the grocery store kind, but he'll never know (at least until he's old enough to read this...). He's not old enough to appreciate the pumpkin patch this year so we'll hold out for that for next year. Papa and I selected a cute pumpkin face for his wee pumpkin, and the cat/pumpkin combo for ours.

Weekend at Grandma & Grandpa's...

We spent the weekend at Grandma & Grandpa's. That's were the awesome leaf pictures came from (thanks, Grandpa!) and Binkie tasted is first leaves ;). Here's some pics of the rest of the weekend.

Three generations (of Binkies?)...


Mommy & Binkie



Grandpa & Binkie

Leaf baby...

Yummy leaves!



Binkie in the leaf pile...

Exersaucing...

Here's Binkie enjoying a workout!

Papa's hat...take two...

Papa and Binkie were playing with his hat again....this time backwards!

Peekaboo...

A couple of weeks ago, Binkie started liking peekaboo. Up until then, it didn't really phase him. But now he thinks it's a riot!

Jumpin' J...

I got Binkie a Johnny Jump Up about two weeks ago. He's still learning. He doesn't quite get it even though he *loves* jumping in the Exersaucer and on me.

7 month portraits...

Here they are and they are ADORABLE! Of course, I'm only slightly biased! ;)

Packer Party!

We had a Packer Party today!

Readin' books...

I try to read to Binkie every day. He's just now taking a *small* interest in it. He's trying to do it on his own now ;)

Lunch date...

Every Monday I have Bible study and my friend, Diane, leads our group. Frequently, Diane, Binkie and I get together after Bible study for lunch. This past Monday, we went to her house for lunch. This is Diane and Binkie.

First car...

I bought Binkie his first car at Walmart the other day. That's such a boy thing.

Cat massage...

I got a cat massage from Annabelle this afternoon...

Cool dude...

This was yesterday as we headed out to do errands...what a cool little dude, eh?

31 4/7

Today was a day I thought needed to be remembered. Thirty-one and four-sevenths weeks seems so long ago...do you remember what you were doing thirty-one and four-sevenths weeks ago? I do! Binkie was born at 31 4/7 weeks gestation. *tear* It's gone by soooo fast. So, here's what 31 4/7 looks like on the outside.

Papa's hat...

Papa put his hat on Binkie while he was in the Exersaucer. It kept falling forward and blocking his vision, but Binkie didn't really seem to mind much. He was too busy jumping and having a ball!

Playing with bunny...

Here's Binkie hangin' with his bunny today during our playtime.

Don't grab my butt hair!

As I mentioned the other day, Binkie has realized that we have cats. And will reach out towards them if they are in the vicinity. Today after church, Daddy and I were playing with Binkie on the floor when Annabelle walked by. Daddy held her so Binkie could touch her and.....he grabbed the hair by her butt and pulled! She screamed and I tried to get him to let go. Daddy held her to keep her from panicking and biting anyone, most of all Binkie, which she didn't, but she wasn't real happy let me tell you!!

At the zoo again...

We took advantage of this beautiful fall day to go to the zoo. We stopped at the "Family Farm" for the first time with Binkie to check out the animals. He seemed to think the goat was pretty funny!

Playing with our toes...

I know I've said this before, but I really don't know where the time goes some days. It's already Friday, I haven't posted since Monday and I have nothing to show for it! There's still nearly two weeks of laundry to do, the house is a mess and we've been eating leftovers all week. :) We did make it to Walmart this week for the 7 month photos and let me tell you they are SUPER cute! I did make baby food yesterday, does that count?? :) Binkie tried pears this morning. I had planned on him having pears last week already, but the very nice-looking and expensive organic pears I bought were green and hard as a rock, despite all of the speed-ripening methods I tried. A week later, I decided to go forth and puree them anyway, only to find that 2 of the 3 were rotten on the inside! grrrrrr.....So, I made pears again yesterday, and they were good. At least I think they were. :)

Binkie has made a few discoveries in the past week or so. 1) He has toes and they are fascinating and 2) we have cats. Every time he sees one he smiles and squeals. It's pretty awesome. He tries to reach for them too, but they are not interested. And he hasn't grasped the concept of petting, just grasping their fur. They are not down on that. But they have tolerated it amazingly well. We are working on "nice" petting.

Sunday night football...

Here's Binkie all revved up for the Sunday night game. He missed most of it because he had to go to bed and that's OK, since they lost anyway.
:( But he's none the wiser.

Hello from the world of Windows Vista...

Well, I did it. I took the plunge. As I type this, I am using the love-it-or-hate-it Windows Vista. I don't know how I feel about it as I've only been using for about 10 minutes so far...it's different, but so far not bad. Ask me again tomorrow. :)

Eerie moon...

Daddy took this picture of the wicked-scarey-cool moon tonight. The quality isn't the greatest as it's 400x zoom on the digital camcorder, but it did capture this very cool moon we saw tonight. Can't wait to share these things with Binkie!

Goodnight Binkie!

Busy day today. We had lunch with my friend Wendy, hit the mall and our favorite place, Babies R Us and then to the car dealership to have them reset my oil change light thingy that they didn't reset the last time they changed it....grrrr....oh, and Binkie had mangos for breakfast, yummy!

Yummy fingers...

If I haven't already mentioned teething, I think it's already well underway, even though I've not actually seen any teeth. Some days are better than others and this morning was the beginning of a pretty good day...so far. :) I love the morning time with Binkie because even on the more difficult days, he's usually pretty happy in the morning.

Not much goin' on...

I know it's been several days since my last update and there really hasn't been much getting in the way of that, but life itself. I've been working on some freelance graphics design work for church that has been keeping me busy in the evenings and I've been preparing to upgrade my machine to Vista (call me brave or crazy, I'm not sure which...) but I haven't shot any pictures in almost a week. So, I made a point of it this evening. Nothing too special, but cute nonetheless.

Binkie and Monthly @ 6 (and a half...) months...

Finally...here's the monthly onesie picture!



I never did get a picture of the back with him wearing the onesie, but it's on a previous post here.

Are you ready for some football?

Tonight was Binkie's first Packer game (on TV of course). He didn't see very much since dinner for him is at 7 and he was asleep by 7:30 so I'll have to brief him on the game tomorrow during our walk. Congratulations to Aaron Rodgers on his first start and win. GO PACK!

6 month portraits...

Here they are! :) I love the seriousness of this one.

A partial smile, the first one caught in a portrait.

A funny grin. I think he looks particularly guilty of something here...maybe a diaper surprise?!

The last of the vacation...

While in the Dells, we rode a DUCK. It was a lot of fun, but knowing now what I know about how loud they are, I don't know if I'd do it again with a young child. Not that Binkie minded, he slept through most of it. But it was loud! Here's a bit of history on the DUCK.

Given that Lake Delton is no more, at least temporarily, the DUCK route has been modified. We did a loop on the Wisconsin River and the scenery there is amazing. The "cliffs" you see are potsdam sandstone, found only in 3 places in the world. Potsdam Germany where the name comes from, here in the WI Dells, and the last place I do not recall. This is all according to our tour guide, so it may or may not be accurate--that is my disclaimer!

This was the view from our room.

Yummy sweet potatoes!

We're moving on up to bananas and sweet potatoes (not together) and so far they appear to be yummy! Tomorrow it is avocado and then on to peaches. All organic and homemade with love by mommy. :)





YUM!

Binkie and Grover....

How cute it is this???
CUTE!

More water fun...

Just more time spent at the water park. We didn't enjoy the outdoor park as much as the indoor one because the water was much colder outdoors, they didn't really have a wading pool outdoors and it was crowded, with lots of kids splashing :(. Not that I didn't have to yell at a kid who thought it was fun to stand on the jets pumping water and create a spray that went everywhere... ;) He was too big to be in the wading pool anyway. :)

Buckets o' water

Of all the things the water park has to offer for fun, Binkie found these buckets the most fascinating things! We didn't get too close because they would really make a splash, but watching them fill and dump was big fun!

Lake Delton...

On our way out of town, we stopped to see what used to be Lake Delton. Check out the video on youtube for a refresher of the destruction when the lake flowed into the Wisconsin River.

Here's what we saw.




It is amazing that the lake is just disappeared and took several homes with it in the process. From what I understand, they are working to rebuild it and it should be refilled sometime next year.

Happy Anniversary...

We've been married 7 years today. It's amazing how quickly the time has passed. It hasn't always been easy, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love this man. Happy Anniversary, Papa!

The Binkie in the Dells...

We've been away for a mini-vacation for a few days and just got home this evening. It was nice to be away and Binkie did great! He even slept in until 8 AM two days in a row, which was weird but really nice. :)

Here he is ready to go swimming!

At the waterpark...

We spent some time at the waterpark today...

Binkie and the Hare...

Grandma C. bought Binkie Nutbrown Hare from the book, "Guess How Much I Love You". So today we went outside to read books and play and I took pictures in the wonderful natural light. I liked this shot so much I wanted to try it as black and white. Which do you prefer?

Trying to crawl...

I've been in denial about this. It's pretty early. But the signs are all there, and so is Binkie's frustration. He hated tummy time until he figured out how to roll over. Now, he's trying to crawl. Daddy is trying to encourge him -- me, not so much, because once he starts, you can't turn it off and I'm not ready yet for him to be mobile. I rather like leaving him to be content on the floor without supervision while I take a shower or make dinner. Once he can move, I won't be able to do that anymore! Look out world!

A mighty big water dish...

Clyde has taken to drinking from the kitty pool :) as if it's his own personal water dish. The photo might look grainy, but I'm actually shooting from inside the house through the patio screen door.

6 months!

Happy Birthday Binkie! It's almost unbelieveable to me that he's 6 months old already. Somebody pinch me!

My friend Kathy and her daughter Molly bought these Sesame pals for Binkie and he's having a good time with them! Thanks Kathy & Molly! :)

edited to add: Poor Ernie, he's being pulled by the hair. I know what that feels like lately! :)

Binkie's been abducted by aliens...

You couldn't tell from the photo...but my sweet, happy-go-lucky little boy has turned into a cranky, no-napping little handful. It happened about a week ago. Naps have never been predictable with him, but lately they've been sporadic and random. And the so-called pacifier is not doing it's job anymore either. And the feedings are way off too. I don't know where they've taken him but aliens, if you are reading this, please bring him back! :)

From Grandpa...

I had been meaning to capture this earlier but neither the camera or the bib were in the same place at the same time. And there's no time to go looking for the camera when it's feeding time, else you get in big trouble with the boss. So I finally took this non-food moment to capture this adorable bib that Grandpa bought for Binkie. I had a really hard time getting a shot where you could actually see the text. It reads, "Party. My crib. 2 AM" :)

This is new...

Binkie just started doing this within the last week. I don't know what it means, since he does it when he's happy, frustrated, bored and impatient. It's especially great when he does it with a mouthful of cereal (or so Daddy tells me). Enjoy this little clip!

New here...

I bought this onesie before Binkie was born because it was just so cute. He can finally wear it. I know this is a "deer in the headlights" expression, but it was the only one that you could read what the shirt says.

Got milk?

This picture reminds me of those commercials. It's not even milk on his face, just slobber.

No roses, but...

I do have sunflowers! My roses were severely damaged this past winter and I've only had one flowering from them this year. I cut them back (what was left of them) after the first flowering and they are doing well, for August. I doubt I will see many blooms yet this year. Plus, I haven't been giving them the TLC they require (hmmm...I wonder what could possibly be taking up so much of my time???). Anyhoo, because of all of the bird feeders and bird seed, especially sunflower seed that I have, I find sunflowers popping up in the yard in the most peculiar places. Most of the time I pull them when I weed, but I decided to let a few of them grow. Sunflowers = free bird food! So, I snapped these pics of my "rose" garden....oh, and my adopted cat Clyde. ;) About Clyde...that's not his real name.
It's Zack. Or Zack, kitty, kitty as the neighbor girl told me. But I named him Clyde before I knew that so I call him Clyde. I *believe* that he belongs to the neighbors three houses down. At least I *think* so. But most days he spends under my patio set in the shade. I keep a water dish out there for him especially when it's hot (like lately) and I give him handfuls of food when Daddy's not looking. Daddy doesn't want me to feed him (because then he sits on our stoop waiting for a handout). But I feel bad for him. He's a beautiful cat and I hope that he didn't belong to the neighbors two houses away that moved recently, leaving him behind. He doesn't have a tag at all so I'm not sure, and I haven't seen the neighbor girl either. I guess only time will tell. I really don't need another cat though....

Zoo ala carte...

We decided to visit the zoo today, being such a nice day and all...and enjoy zoo ala carte while we were there--bonus! Here are the fun snaps of the day...

Mmmmm...cereal

When we saw the pediatrician on Monday, he gave us the go ahead to start feeding Binkie cereal with a spoon. He's been getting a tablespoon in his bottle twice a day for a few weeks already, but we've been promoted to the spoon delivery mechanism. Daddy's fed him with the spoon a few times, already, but tonight was my first try. It went well, albeit a little messy. But Binkie seemed to like it!

All done!

100 things about me...

OK, so I took the time yesterday to think of 100 things about me. It was easier than I thought. I looked to RC's blog and her 100 things for inspiration when mine was lagging (thanks, RC!). I actually have thought of more things about me to add, maybe I'll save them for the 200th post! :D

1. I had braces (for 14 months).
2. I used to *love* Michael Jackson (that was before he turned into a freak).
3. I have Jon Bon Jovi’s autograph.
4. I loved heavy metal (and still like my old hair band music).
5. I’ve owned fish net stockings(!).
6. I was on the pom pom squad in jr. high.
7. I didn’t make the squad in high school.
8. I didn’t like HS very much.
9. I wasn’t a very good student in HS either.
10. I got into a fist fight with another girl from a different HS over a boy.
11. I got a detention for that.
12. I’ve never been to a HS reunion.
13. I’ve been engaged 3 times.
14. Married twice.
15. Divorced once.
16. Still married.
17. My husband proposed to me on Good Friday.
18. I have one child.
19. I hope to have another.
20. I have a brother.
21. I always wanted a sister.
22. I have no living grandparents.
23. I like stamping and scrapbooking.
24. I wish I was better at it.
25. I wish there were more hours in the day for it.
26. I like to organize.
27. I especially like to organize my craft room.
28. I don’t like cleaning the house.
29. I really don’t like cleaning the floors.
30. I don’t mind doing laundry.
31. I don’t like carrying it upstairs, though.
32. I have 4 cats.
33. I am allergic to cats and dogs, amongst other things.
34. I don’t think I’ll ever own a dog.
35. I had dogs as a kid.
36. I wish I was taller.
37. And thinner (but I’m working on that – can’t work on being taller!)
38. I like to cook.
39. I really like to bake.
40. And I really, really, like to eat baked goods.
41. And they like me too. Particularly my butt and thighs.
42. I usually make a dozen different baked goods at Christmas.
43. I’m a stay-at-home mom.
44. I quit my job at a large insurance company a year ago.
45. I worked there for 18 years.
46. I still keep in touch with many people from my old job.
47. I used to like working there, but the last two or so years were not the same as when I started.
48. I do miss the paycheck from time-to-time, but I prefer to be home with my son.
49. I have a degree in computer science.
50. It took me 9 years to get that degree!
51. But I worked full-time while I was going to college.
52. I’m the only one in my family to graduate from college.
53. I went to 3 colleges.
54. I hate spiders.
55. I hate beans too.
56. I wish I liked beans because they are good for you.
57. I don’t like to exercise, but I try to.
58. I wish the FedEx man would show up with my new phone!
59. My favorite color is purple.
60. My new phone is purple.
61. I’m a girly girl instead of a tomboy.
62. I don’t like coffee. Never have.
63. Except those fun flavored coffees that don’t taste like coffee.
64. I like diet soda.
65. I didn’t like my first name growing up.
66. I created my own nickname that I used throughout high school.
67. Now I don’t mind it—my first name.
68. I’ve been in relationships consistently since I was 15 1/2.
69. I didn’t have my own apartment until I was separated.
70. I didn’t mind having my own place.
71. I don’t like moving.
72. I’ve moved 6 times in the last 10 years.
73. I don’t plan on moving for at least another 16 years.
74. When I do move, I want a ranch-style home.
75. I don’t like doing stairs.
76. I’ve played the violin.
77. And the flute.
78. I’ve always wanted to learn how to play the piano.
79. I’m an introvert and I’m shy around people I don’t know well.
80. I’ve never lived outside the state I live in now.
81. I wonder if I ever will.
82. I love photography.
83. I wish I was better at it and had more time to play.
84. I wish I had more equipment too.
85. I’m inspired by creative people.
86. Actually, I’m inspired by lots of people—smart people.
87. I battle self-doubt a lot.
88. I’m sad that Brett Favre was traded to the Jets, I wanted him to remain a Packer forever.
89. But I think he should have either never retired, or stayed retired.
90. I’m a Seinfeld-aholic.
91. I own all 9 seasons. I’m watching all of them for the second time, this time with the Notes about Nothing on.
92. I also watch the reruns on TV, usually twice a day.
93. I also like Sex and the City.
94. I never watched it when it was on HBO.
95. I don’t have HBO.
96. My friend got me started on it.
97. I now own all 6 seasons of it.
98. I think I’ve watched all 6 seasons 3 times now (not in a row!).
99. This is the penultimate note.
100. I don’t get to use the word penultimate very often.

5 months, revisited

Drum roll please.....

The front:


The back:

New phone!!!

I admit it. I'm a gadget geek. I never imagined I would be one, but I love them all. I have a photo printer, scanner, laptop, pda, mp3 player, 2 digital cameras, wireless mouse, color laser printer, home network (although I claim no responsibility for that -- that's Daddy's realm), mobile phone, remote start for the car, a cordless digital answering system AND...if the FedEx man ever shows up today...I will have a new mobile phone!

It's not the latest and greatest, but it's new to me and I'm excited! I'm also cheap, so I can't afford or justify a cool new smart phone and the plan it requires. So I'll be happy with my 100 minute plan and my new phone. :)

Onesies

I'm so proud of myself. Not only did I get the 5 month onesie done on time (at the 1/2 month point :) I even got the 6 month one DONE already! I don't know why it takes me so long, they are not hard to make. If you are interested in how they are done, check out this blog: a little bit of me. I can't take any credit for the idea behind these, just my version of them ;) Here are all of them:



And here are the never-seen-before backs, since I routinely forget to take pictures of them actually on the kid!




I hope to get the 5 month photos shot today after the nap. I like naps (both his and mine!) :)

Smiles...

It's difficult to capture smiles of Binkie because as soon as he is smiling and I bring out the camera, he fixates on the camera a stops smiling. But, I caught a partial smile on a side shot of this little smile. Cute!

Also, I believe this is my 100th post! Hard to believe because it was difficult to post when I got started. I think you're supposed to post 100 things about you when you have your 100th post. I'll have to work on that. I'm not sure anyone really wants to know 100 things about me they don't already know....

5 months...

I just got the 5 month photos today. I hope to post the monthly onesie tomorrow!

Binkie and Grandpa...

Binkie is finally big enough for Grandpa to hold, and here are the two of them. :)

Binkie's first water ski show....

Grandma and Grandpa took us to see the midwest national ski competition yesterday.

Shortly after we got there, it rained. Rather, it poured. But once it stopped, the show was great!

Go get yourself some cheap sunglasses...

We went for a boat ride this afternoon - here's Daddy and Binkie waiting to board the boat.

I told you so!

Favre Jets from Green Bay to Big Apple

Sunny afternoon...

We spent a little time this afternoon on Grandma's deck. :)

Goin' to Grandma's...

This is all of the gear you need to travel with when you have a youngin':

He's not coming back...

Anyone out there who is a regular of this blog knows that I'm not one for sounding off on the latest buzz on anything, whether it be politics, religion, celebrities or least of all, sports. But, I am going to take a bit of cyberspace to address this for all of those fans (of which I am one too) HE'S NOT COMING BACK. By he, I mean Brett Favre. And I mean not coming back as quarterback to the Packers. He may end up coming back to football, and maybe even to the Packers in some capacity, but I sincerely doubt we'll see #4 as QB again. Ever. Sorry to break it to you.

I am not against Brett. He's been an awesome QB and has been great to GB and the Pack. But it's over. I'm not going to speculate the next moves, or sit out in front of his house in GB hoping he'll address the fans or analyze all of the what if scenarios. I am sad that things have turned out this way. I didn't want to see him retire. And I certainly don't want to see him on another team. But he made his choice and when he did I truly felt we wouldn't see him again as QB. And we won't. So, farewell Brett, it's been good - I wish you the best.

Cat in the box...

I bought a huge box of diapers from Costco (thanks to my friend, Anne) and the empty box was sitting in the loft. Empty so I thought. I found Abby taking a nap in it.

A FAIR day...

We took advantage of the beautiful day today to visit the State Fair. It was AWESOME! We even saw some friends from church there too!

Family photo at the fair:

Binkie's first cream puff:

NOTE: We really didn't let him have any cream puff, it was for photo purposes only! :)

Groovy, man...

I'm liking taking pictures with Binkie in the bumbo. It makes it so much easier! This cute little retro onesie was amongst the gifts my friend RC gave Binkie this past weekend when we got together. Isn't it the cutest?

Today's post is brought to you by the letter "B"...

Binkie, bear, Bumbo and bubbles. You guessed it - all begin with the letter "B!" Good for you!!! :)

Can you tell I've been watching waaaay too much Sesame Street lately?

Here's Binkie, bear and Bumbo all in the same picture:
I just loved the way Binkie was looking at his bear (aka Monthly)!

And here's Binkie blowing bubbles:

Just an average day...

We visited Grandma at her work today over the lunch hour and was adored by all of her co-workers. This picture isn't even from today, but a cute one that I hadn't shared yet.

Swimin'

Since the day at Auntie Karen's pool turned out so well, we decided to get Binkie his own pool...not nearly as nice as Auntie Karen's - but good enough for Binkie! Thank goodness for the nice weather, the water is warm and we've spent two days in it.

Agent Binkie at your service...

Dun, da dun dun. Today Binkie and I met my friend RC and her Little Dude for shopping at the outlet mall. We found some terrific bargins, especially these cool lookin' shades. He looks like a secret agent with the shades and hat! All that's missing is a trench coat! :)

Happy 5 month birthday!

Today is Binkie's 5 month birthday! Happy Birthday Binkie! We tried the portrait studio at Walmart today for the 5 month picture. We didn't capture any smiles (dang it!) but there were a few good pics to be posted next week. Until then, here was Binkie in the Exersaucer while I made supper. :)

The view from my window...

Last night this was the view from my loft...
Every so often hot air balloons travel over our house. I'm not sure where they depart from, but it's a pretty neat sight.

A day at the pool...

We visited Auntie Karen today and she has an awesome pool, so Binkie had his first dip in the pool (or really any body of water for that matter, other than the bath tub.) I wasn't sure he was going to like it but after he got used to the water, he really seemed to be having fun. I found this cute floatie thing at Target (on sale!) and he liked it so much that at one point he fell asleep. :)

One of these things is not like the other...

Baby in the Exersauser (notice there are no pillows in it this time!)


Kitty in the Exersauser


In case you needed clarification, the kitty does not belong in the Exersauser. Although try telling her that! :)

My stamping hero...

One of my favorite stampers and blogs,Anna Wight was in town at my favorite scrapbook store. She was doing demos and showing some of her latest stamp releases today, and was making samples for everyone! Here is the one she made for me. Thank you, Anna! :)

It's all about me...

Well, it used to be. Now it's all about the kid. :)

4 month photo shoot...

Here is the long awaited 4-month portrait I just picked up today. What a cutie, if I do say so myself! :) Do you think he's got a career in modeling in the future???

Special gift...

I wanted to share this gift I made for a dear friend of mine for her birthday. All products are by Stampin' Up (except the ribbon -- from Walmart and the corner card punches are EK Success. Oh, and the oval scalloped die cuts are from Spellbinders).

Naughty kitty!

I had a bit of time this afternoon to make a thank you card for a friend of my mom's that gave me a bunch of boy clothes for Binkie. So, when I walked into to my studio (den) what did I find???

Annabelle was playing with my ribbon stash and her favorite game is to pull all of the ribbon off of the spool. Grrrr.....so I gave her some ribbon of her own to play with. I'm not sure if that is encouraging her or distracting her...

Here is the result of my studio time...

Edited to add: I know I don't get to post my crafty creations as much as I'd like, mostly due to time, but for anyone out there wondering, the stamps are from Rubber Stamp Tapestry, the ink is Versamark (grape, green tea and evergreen) and the card stock is my special stash of Italian Fabriano notecards. There is also Stickles glittler glue in crystal on the flowers, but they didn't photograph well. Normally I scan my cards as opposed to photographing them because the detail is better on the scan, but the glitter glue was still wet and I was impatient. :)

Roll Binkie Roll!

Binkie has been rolling regularly for about a month now. His first roll was just before 3 months, but it was never consistent until just recently. Here's the pose just before the roll.

Hold on to that binky!

We went to a retirement party on Sunday, which was w-i-n-d-y. And because of that, we didn't stay as long as we would have liked. This is a cute snap of Binkie holding on to his binky.

In other news....my marshmallow spine is in recovery. I've got a team of people working on it. PT's, chiropractors and massage therapists. I'm wearing the very stylish SI-Lock belt 24/7 and have a routine of exercises to do. I hope this works. I feel like I'm about 90 years old. The neck is getting better too....thanks to the same team of experts.

Baby boys...

Binkie and I went to a baby shower for Daddy's niece yesterday. We hitched a ride with Uncle Doug and Aunt Lori and headed to Sheboygan. I wrenched my neck getting the car seat base out of my car (ouch!) but we had a nice trip anyway. Here's Binkie and Grandma, Aunt Carol and second cousin Ocean in this picture.

My next (like I had a first) venture capitalist move will be to open urgent care chiropractor clinics. I know I could take advantage of them! But until that happens, I will have to wait until tomorrow. Ugh....

Binkie and the Bear

I finally got around to finishing the montly onesie and taking the picture of Binkie and Monthly--today! So I guess these snaps are going to be 1/2 month snaps because for the last 2 months I haven't gotten around to it until he was halfway through the month! Oh well, better late than never. I also need to remember to take pictures of the back also...since I put the effort into making a back side!

Puppy for dinner?

This just makes me laugh...it looks like Binkie is eating the puppy.

Feedin' the babies...

Here's a fun snap at Grandma's. Everyone's havin' a bottle. Note: there is only water in Daddy's bottle in case you were wondering ;)

Binkies float!

Binkie had his first boat ride, courtesy of Grandpa. I was uncomfortable with him being on the boat without a life jacket, so I set out on a search to find one. Do you know how hard it is to find an infant life jacket??? HARD! We finally did find one at Gander Mountain for a whopping $50! I sure hope he'll be able to wear this again next year. He only tolerated it for a little while, along with the hat, but it was better than nothing.

We're baaaack!

We've been at Grandma and Grandpa's the last few days so the posting has been scarce, even though I've had access to the Internet. But we're back in the groove and ready to share Binkie's first road trip! And first boat trip. More about that later....here's Grandma and Grandpa. :)

Happy 4th of July!

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

Binkie and I enjoyed a nice walk around the neighborhood today. It was beautiful! Blue skies, warm but not hot, low humidity and NO MOSQUITOS! Did I ever say I much I HATE MOSQUITOS?! And, they LOVE me! But today during our walk, they were not to be found. Ahhh...life is good.

I love a parade...

Today Binkie experienced his first parade. One of the praise bands that Daddy plays in at church was in the Hartland 4th of July parade so we braved the threatening looking weather and headed out. We were blessed that the rain held off and we got to see Daddy and the band, as well as firetrucks, tractors and some *very* unusual animals. God Bless America!

Porcupine

Steer

Camel

Binkasaurus

Daddy

Pay it forward...

Well, this isn't techinically an example of paying it "forward" but a good deed nonetheless. Yesterday our family of three drove the all too familiar route back to the hospital NICU for a visit and to drop off some preemie onesies I got at a bargain price at Walmart. Unfortunately for us, many of the nurses were not working yesterday because there weren't many babies. But that is a good thing. So we had our picture taken for their wall, although I didn't get a copy and left our little donation. I have a whole new appreciation for those people who work in the NICU and a special place in my heart for those little babies. Oh, and I spotted the thank you card I made for the NICU on their wall as well :)

This morning...

This moring I got up and got ready before checking in with anyone today as we have a busy day and if I didn't do it then, it wouldn't have gotten done. So what did I see when I headed downstairs...?

New hat

Yesterday while we were at the mall waiting for our pictures to be uploaded, we strolled around and landed in Old Navy. I found a cute hat for Binkie that actually fit...it's not easy to find hats for babies. We are headed up to Grandma and Grandpa's next week and will need a hat for being outdoors. Of course, when we got home he had to model it for the camera ;)

Happy 4 month birthday!

Yesterday was Binkie's 4 month birthday! Happy Birthday Binkie! We celebrated by going to Sears, again, but this time I ONLY bought the $9.99 package. I'm so proud of myself. It helped that there was only one really good picture...else I might have been tempted. I don't think the folks at the portrait studio were real pleased, but being that I dropped $300 last month there I didn't have any regrets! It will be a few weeks before I can post that picture since I wasn't able to take the pictures with me, or should I say I wasn't going to pay extra for that privilege and I didn't purchase the CD. But I will tell you it's pretty darn cute if I do say so myself! I will be posting the monthly onesie soon, so stay tuned!

Swingin'

Binkie is not a huge fan of the swing, especially if he's not happy, but today our timing was right and Mommy and Daddy enjoyed dinner without interruption (for once!). We also wish our friend, Kathy, a Happy Birthday! :)

Happy it's the weekend...

Yeah, it's finally here! Binkie got his first baby massage yesterday by our friend, Geri, who also brought him a very nice, big, soft and cuddly blanket! This was Binkie earlier in the day...all smiles.

Ancient Chinese secret...

Do you remember those commercials years ago for a product, I think it was Calgon water softening something or other for the laundry? Well, I stumbled upon this laundry solution and although it's not ancient or even Chinese, it saved a shirt that I had that had some set in stains (might have been chocolate, not sure). I tried everything I could think of before rediscovering this solution, which comes from the book, Talking Dirty Laundry with the Queen of Clean, by Linda Cobb. It saved this shirt that I washed about 20 times (seriously) with every other concoction I could think of and nothing worked. Did I mention that the shirt was borrowed and didn't even belong to me? Hence my persistence in getting it clean!

1/2 c. 3% hydrogen peroxide
1 t. ammonia

Treat on spots and let soak, checking every 10 minutes and reapplying until the stain is gone. Launder as usual.

This book was $10 and worthy every penny for this one solution, because now I don't have to replace the shirt or admit to the stain in the first place. Bonus! :)

A new friend, a smile and a trip to the zoo

Monthly made a new friend today...Charlie. I caught Charlie napping in the nursery next to the bear and couldn't resist taking a picture.

Being that it was such a nice day today and so far we haven't seen very many of them this summer, Binkie and I ditched the house and yard work and headed back to the zoo. We made it to many more of the exhibits and Mommy earned 1 activity point! Activity points = more food to eat. :)

Mommy also caught a few smiles in action. It's so neat that he's more interactive and smiles in response to people rather than involuntarily. :)

Just another day...

I don't have anything particularly exciting to say today or any stunning photos to share. It's just an ordinary day at our house. Binkie is napping so I have a few minutes to spare before I attack the laundry (again) and then the kitchen, and then there were those scrapbook pages I have been working on and the bathroom that I have been trying to finish cleaning. I didn't say I didn't have anything to do, it's just not that exciting. :)

Oh, I should mention though that on Saturday I celebrated my one year anniversary of retirement! Well, I sort of celebrated. I thought about it earlier in the week and then forgot about it until Sunday. Wow...one year of unemployment. And I am loving it! (but I do occasionally miss the paycheck)

Here's a cute photo from last evening. The lighting is terrible in the bedroom, but it's cute nonetheless.

Happy Father's Day!

This was Daddy's first Father's Day so it was extra special. Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there. We love you!

First trip to the zoo

Binkie had his first experience at the zoo on Saturday. I'm not sure he even knew what was going on but Mom & Dad got a nice walk out of it and enjoyed the nice weather, before it rained, AGAIN! The flamingos are finally back at the zoo. They were removed a few years ago and were recently brought back to the new constructed area around the aviary. Mr. Polar Bear was pacing back and forth deciding if he wanted to take a swim with his partner, who was already enjoying the water. And last but not least, a trip to the zoo would be the same with out hippos. Hippo butts that is. This is the first time ever I think I've see these beasts out of the water and actually moving! But this was the only angle I could get a shot of...so sorry if I've offended anyone with the hippo butts pic. We didn't get through everything at the zoo because Binkie reached his tolerance level about and hour and a half into it, but we have a zoopass so we'll be back again soon!

"Here comes the rain again..."

I was never an Eurythmics fan, but I think this song is especially appropriate with all of the rain and storms lately. I think I need to build an ark.

We're staying dry so far, and we are thankful for that.

I snapped some fun pics of the cats over the last two days and thought it would be fun to share.

First, is Carlos. This is his debut on the blog. This is where he sleeps during the day, in our office...and snores!














Next, Abby. She is Daddy's little princess. But, now has competition for his affection. So, she sleeps in Jason's designated places when he's not in them. Here she is in the pack and play.














And then there's Charlie. Sleeping in the window.














Lastly, but definitely not least, Annabelle, the cat that eats cantaloupe.

Baby's first boo-boo

It was an accident. Really. Please don't turn us in. We were only trying to entertain him. He doesn't really fit in the Exersaucer. So I (by suggestion of someone I know mind you) thought I'd put a pillow in it to make up for the lack of height. Well, it backfired. He got a scrape. And screamed bloody murder. Only for a short time, thank goodness. He's OK. I'm probably more traumatized. Lesson learned: don't add pillows to the Exersauer.

Before:



















After:

Better late than never...

Here's the 3 month picture with the bear. I decided to name the bear Monthly, since I use him to take monthly pictures with Jason. Also, the personalized onesie was a homemade creation, but not my brainchild. My friend, Kristi, turned me on to this blog (see blogroll at right) "a little bit of me." The idea was hers and so were the instructions on how to make it. I just realized though, that I didn't take a photo of the back. The back said "mommy + daddy + baby = 3". Cute, eh?

Also, I couldn't resist sharing this photo of Jason holding on to Daddy's finger. How precious!