Playroom

I'll make this short, sweet, and to the point.

Window bench - check
pillows - check
vintage school desk - check

We are SO close to being done with the playroom. All that is left is painting the ceiling, putting up crown molding and possibly getting a coffee table. What do you think? Coffee table or no?

I'm in love.....

......with e-mealz.

I started a month ago and can't get enough. I actually get excited to cook. Who doesn't love saving money buying groceries, an already made grocery list, and 5 meals planned for the week. The meals are super easy, really good, and it helps me explore different foods I would normally turn down.

Because it's too much to explain check out their website at www.e-mealz.com. I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone and everyone. They have an example of how the meals and grocery lists are laid out.

If you're anything like me and making dinner is more of a chore and you just end up resorting to the same 5 meals, pay the $1.25 a week. I promise it is worth every penny and you'll actually get excited to cook.

*FYI-Joe and I signed up for the low-fat dinner for 2 at Wal-Mart. Because I hate shopping at wal-mart, but it was the only store available to us from the list, I go to either Target or Crest.

Speechless

Hi, my name is Celeste and I have an extreme phobia of disgusting furniture.

What can I say? Nasty furniture makes me weak at the knees and want to pass out. You might think I'm exaggerating but I'm not. For instance, while searching on craigslists I came across this free add (http://craigseasy.com/Home/PageViewer?url=http%3A%2 %2Foklahomacity.craigslist.org%2Fzip%2F2262970125.html). Again, I became week at the knees and wanted to pass out.

If you own anything like this, do yourself a favor and take it to the dump.

Thanks,
Celeste

art project 101

I realized I was completely unselfish and a total "mom" when I decided to give up my pretty dining room, that I had high hopes for, and turned it into a playroom. Although I did hesitate because it is the first room you see when you walk in the front door, but I knew with my OCD I could keep it clean and organized. It's been a work in progress for the past 5 months and I have rearranged and changed my mind about 50 times. Ok, so that 50 is an exaggeration, how bout 49?

So to get to my point, The walls were bare and I had some frames laying around that I hung with family pictures but it just didn't look right. As much as Liz loved seeing pictures on the wall I couldn't keep it. So on to the 37th rearrangement of the room I decided I wanted to display Liz's own art. I thought long and hard about how I was going to do it until one day I had an Ah Ha moment. I rushed to hobby lobby, bought a canvas and paint, and came home and eagerly waited for Joe to get home from work (I wanted him to be there for the fun). As soon as he got home I had everything set up and ready to go. He thought I was crazy and kept asking me if it could wait for the next day, considering the fact it was 6:00 pm and I hadn't showered (sometimes it happens) and we had to pick a babysitter up at 7:30 and be at a surprise birthday party at 7:45.

Regardless of the time it happened that night and of course it didn't turn out as fun as I planned but it turned out adorable and I couldn't be happier. Now Liz loves seeing her art on the wall and talks to it all day.



Don't worry, the playroom still has tons of work left. The shelves Joe and I built still need to be finished off with crown molding, there will be a small window bench between the shelves, We're going to attempt to make our own coffee table, and the chairs will yet again be moved around. I love having a space for all of Liz's toys. And in case you are wondering, yes it is almost always this clean.

*And just a side note, Liz's art work looks a million times better in person. And I'm not just saying that because I'm her mom.....

Aloha!!!

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go.....(you can sing the rest in your head)

Please......I wish I could say I was going to Hawaii.

Instead tomorrow morning Liz and I will be on a plane headed to St. George to watch my sister, Julia, kids while her and her husband go to Hawaii. I am excited that Liz and I get to spend the week with my nieces and nephew and even more excited for Julia and Nathan to celebrate there anniversary in Hawaii. No one deserves it more then my sister Julia. She is a rockstar mom! Hopefully I don't ruin everything while there gone. Wish us luck! We'll be gone for 2 weeks!

p.s. Happy Birthday to the best dad in the world!

Leaving on a Jet plane

I know right? Two days in a row?

Last week Liz and I had the privilege of flying home for the first time just the two of us. I was so nervous. I even considered getting a new phone so I could download movies to keep her occupied but then I realized I was being ridiculous and sucked it up. Luckily we got a good time and a good seat. It was a smaller plane with maybe 15 men and 2 women. When we checked in they told me they changed my seat, little did I know we were going to be put in the very back of the plane with no one in front, beside, or behind of us for 4 aisles. I felt like Rosa Parks but instead of the back of the bus we were in the back of the plane.

It was a 2 hour flight to Dallas and I think I had a harder time then Liz. Whenever I fly, drive, or on anything thats moving I instantly become tired and fall asleep. When I fly by myself I stay awake long enough to take off, that's my favorite part, and then the tray comes down and I am out. Without fail as soon as we took off my eyes became so heavy and it took everything I had to stay awake and entertain Liz. Luckily she had Life cereal to eat, but that only lasted 15 min. and then I really don't remember the next hour. Towards the end I finally gained come energy and Liz and I played. She started getting whiny and wanted to run up and down the aisle so instead of fighting her I set her in the aisle next to me and she sat there as happy as can be.

We had an hour and a half layover in Dallas and it was perfect. We ate at McDonalds and I treated liz to an ice cream cone. I let her walk around the airport a bit and then it was time to board. She did awesome the whole time and when we landed I kept thanking her for being so good and cooperative. We'll be flying again this next Wednesday and I pray she does just as good. Except this time our flight leaves at 6:35 am. Shoot me.

18 months

(exhausted from screaming so much at the doctors)

18 month stats:

*weight: 28 lbs 13 oz, 95th%
*height: 32 1/2", 75th%
*2T and 3T tops and slimming down to 18-24 month bottoms.
*favorite shows: Mickey Mouse, curious George, and Princess and the frog
*she has all of her teeth and her side mullet is growing back. time for another haircut!

(first day of nursery)

JIGGA WHAT??? My child is 18 months today? Well her age showed all too well today when I took her for her 18 month check up. She was not happy. She hated the doctor, the nurse, and the lady that pricked her finger. Luckily they couldn't get her shot records today so we got to skip that, for now at least. After they pricked her finger it wouldn't stop bleeding and every band aid they put on she pulled off. After 5 minutes of holding her down and her screaming, she fell asleep and we got a band aid on. Whew....that was eventful.

She is all personality. My sister Aubrey explained her all to well when she said she's like Joe when she's happy and she's like me when she's mad. I took offense to it until I realized it was true. She really is the sweetest, funniest, and kind hearted little girl I know but she can give you the crustiest, meanest, go to hell looks.

She is communicating really well. She can say so many words and surprises me everyday with how smart she is. I've been really trying to work with her on her ABC's and just this week she has started trying to sing it. It's really cute. The only letters she sings are B and P. I got her an alphabet puzzle and showed it to her 2 or 3 times and then she had it down. I would mix them up in random order and she knew exactly where they went. I couldn't believe it. It was a proud "mom" moment.

This past Sunday was supposed to be Liz's last Sunday before going into Nursery at church. We sat down in Sunday school and she just started being so loud. So I got up, walked into Nursery and asked if we could come a week early. Gratefully, they let her stay and luckilly it was snack time. Liz had no problems being in there and loved all the new toys.

Finally, a huge milestone in our lives was the day Liz went to bed on her own and without having to be rocked. She now has a set bed time of 8 or 8:30 and it really has changed our lives. She does wake up a little earlier then before but I won't complain of waking up between 8 or 9.

When we were at my sister, Aubreys, house last week somehow Liz knew where all the pictures of her daddy were. She would go to the fridge and point to our Christmas card and say "daddy!" and then they have a Martindale family picture high on a shelf in the living room that she would do the same with. Also, we were watching one of her friends this morning and she walked around the entire house and showed her every picture of her and her daddy. Yes, I am chop liver around here. No matter how much TV I let her watch, how much junk food I give her, and no matter how much I play with her, her daddy is Everything! It's cute though and I'm glad she loves him so much.

Liz has become really interested in me reading her books. Before she only wanted to look at the pictures and would get mad if I started reading. Now we read book after book after book. At first I loved it, Now if I have to read that dumb mouse book one more time I might throw it across the room. I told Joe we need a whole new book collection.

I bought Liz the number magnets for the fridge and she LOVES them. The kitchen is her favorite place to go and play. She gets out the paper plates and plastic utensils and lines them up on our window seat and pushes the chairs away from the table and puts her numbers on the chairs. The kitchen is also where she sings and talks the most. She just sways from back and forth just singing and talking.

Speaking of numbers Liz loves to count but her counting only consists of the number 2. As soon as I start counting every thing is 2, 2, 2, etc. It's adorable. And if you start counting her fingers or toes you obviously have to count the other hand or foot. Sadly, she's very OCD like me.

My favorite thing Liz does now is instead of giving high fives she "pounds it". It's hilarious. I'll say "lizzie pound it" and she'll make a fist and hit mine. I can't just pound it with one hand, I have to pound it with my right and then my left.

Last but not least, A couple months back we went to a furniture flea market and Joe and I found a 4 poster bed that we fell in love with to be Liz's "big girl" bed. As we were looking at it a lady and one of the workers walked up and the worker told her that they would sell it to her. Joe and I were so bummed. I strolled around and kept going back to the bed and getting more and more bugged and finally told the lady that bought it, jokingly, that I wish I would have seen it before her. About 15 min. later, as we were walking out to our car, the lady stopped me and asked me if it was for our little girl. I told her yes and she asked for my name and number and was going to see if it even fit in her guest room and if not she would let me buy it from her. To make a long story short I got a text 4 days later and the lady asked if I was still interested. I called her and told her yes and she said she couldn't stand the thought of keeping it for just a guest room when our little girl could be using it. I was greatful and excited. We went and picked it up and it is now sitting, in what will be, Liz's new room. No I am not pregnant, nor am I planning to get pregnant anytime soon, we just couldn't pass up the offer.

Sorry this post was FOREVER long but it has been too long since I've posted about Liz.