Crafty Idea of the Month- TWISTER!!!

So here's our latest crafty project, if you will!
This is what Bailey likes to call "the really fun game!"

I bought the TWISTER game back when we had our crazy 80s New Year's party and drew shapes on all of the colored circles. All I do is call out a color and a shape and she has to find it and stand on it. Yes, yes- the teacher in me is still there! Bailey knows all of her shapes and colors so she thinks this game is "really fun!" Of course, now she's realized it's more fun to call them out for ME!


BTW- It also makes for a great floor covering when you're potty training your child!

Happy Birthday Izzie Dog!

Poor Izzie just isn't top dog around here anymore! If she could talk, I sometimes think she would tell us to send Bailey back to where she came from! This past week Izzie turned 4 years old and since Bailey is obsessed with birthdays right now, we decided to celebrate a little! Bailey made Izzie a "cake" and we sang "Happy Birthday" to her!

Izzie really is a trooper! She's not the smartest tool in the shed, but I like to think her looks make up for that! She's been moved to a new house, forced to be a "big sister," lived through a minor dog attack, and confronted numerous wild animals head on in her four short years! She's a Great Dane in a Yorkie's body and we love her!

Izzie when we first brought her home

Christmas 2007- back when we still took pictures of our dog at Christmas before we had a human child!

Izzie just thrilled about her 4th birthday!

Happy Birthday furry friend!

Hot Mess!!!

I've tried to tell her less is more!

Little Fishy Goes for a Swim!

Bailey just finished up her second summer in swimming lessons at The Swim School and what a little fishy she's turned out to be! David and I are so proud of her- she's learned so much and absolutely LOVES the water (good thing since we live on the lake)! She definitely had an opinion of what she did and did not want to do this year, but she's really improved! Thank you Daddy for coming to watch and taking these pics!

With her teacher, Miss Nichole, holding onto the wall

No fear!

Does this make me a bad mom that I just laugh when my child is crying?

Jumping off of Mr. Duck

Doing the torpedo under the water

Ready for the slide- with her teacher from last year, Ms. Farris

SPLASH!

Bailey-isms

Mommy- "Did you go poo-poo in your diaper?"
Bailey- (with a smile) "No."
Mommy- "Bailey... are you telling Mommy a story?"
Bailey- (as I open up a poopy diaper) "Ta-daaa!!! Oh dear, it stinks!"

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"Teddy wet. I change Teddy's diaper."

"Let's change Teddy's diaper and Bailey's diaper. Here's a wipe for Bailey."

"Almost time. Oh, Bailey's diaper has Cookie Monster on it- yum, yum, yum!"

"I'll put the wipe in the trash can. Good idea!

Ode to my WONDERFUL, BRILLIANT, CREATIVE, BEAUTIFUL, SPECTACULAR friend Holly

So let's add this one to the "better late than never" blog list.

(Holly- I bet this will be the first blog of mine that you will read everything, instead of just looking at the pictures!)

So Bailey and I went to Dallas a few weekends ago to visit my fabulous friend Holly and her little boy Nolan. Our plan was to go to the Dallas Zoo (since Holly is worried that Bailey has only been to a zoo with animals she can AND DID find in her own backyard). Of course- being a mother is all about spontaneity and compromise, so instead of leaving on Friday morning to head to Dallas, we went to the doctor's office only to find out that miserable Bailey had a cold.

After we got some medicine, I decided we'd go ahead and go and maybe Bailey's demeanor would change- NOT SO! Holly had a great weekend planned and went out of her way to try to make Bailey happy. Holly truly IS the hostess with the mostess! Unfortunately, Bailey had a fever the whole time and, I'm pretty sure, felt miserable. Anyway- here's some pictures from our weekend and all of the wonderful things Holly did for my pitiful little one!

Holly started a monthly baby book club and we got to come to her "Very Hungry Caterpillar" party on Friday. She had adorable decorations (note her cute Cricut caterpillar sign), all the foods that the caterpillar ate, and cute crafts for the kids (egg carton caterpillars and tissue paper butterflies).

Here's Nolan- Holly's little boy- is he NOT just the cutest thing you ever saw??? He loved Bailey and tried just about as hard as Holly did to make Bailey feel better- open mouth kisses and all!

Nolan and B in the tub- I think there were more toys in there than Bailey had ever seen!


Holly's fabulous monkey pancakes for breakfast!

We never made it to the zoo- it was kind of rainy and also hot, so we decided on the Children's Museum instead. This was the highlight of Bailey's trip- "milking" the cow!

This was the highlight of MY trip- playing Rock Band with the Whalens! Jonathan, Holly, and Nolan took turns on lead vocals, Jonathan played the guitar some, and I got to fulfill my fantasy on the drums! Oh my gosh- it was SO FUN! I already told David that this is what I want for Christmas!


Holly- You are one of my best and truest friends and I love you very much! I hope that we're not banned from your house now because we still have to come back and go to the zoo!

Crafty Idea of the Month- ABC Book

So maybe I'll have a monthly feature (I would say weekly, but there's no way I can commit to that) of my favorite crafty creation. So here's the first! My friend Holly found this idea online and made one for her son Nolan. I thought it was super-cute and made one for Bailey. It's an ABC book with all of the letters made into animals. Here's some pictures of a few of my favorites. Bailey really likes the book and has already started to recognize some of the animals.

This lady has a pretty cool website with lots of educational ideas. The teacher in me always LOVES finding stuff like this! She's started a book for lowercase letters too so I'll have to make that one soon as well. Check it out!

http://totallytots.blogspot.com/

http://lapbooksbycarisa.homestead.com/TotSchool.html