Two Happy Girls

Ellie is ready to protect her new toy! It's not very often that she gets to have a toy all to her self. Usually it is Addie tucking her in with her blanket and "aminals" which Ellie dog knows not to touch. She is a good pup!


Addie is helping Dad appreciate a yummy pancake! Nothing says sweet dreams like a picnic before bed.

What a smart kid! Her parents must be the best ever!

Yup its true I can't sleep without knowing that my new food it safe and sound!

Last night Paul and I went out for a night on the town. Being the wimpy Wendys that we are, we were home shortly after 9 pm. Friday nights are hard! One of us is usually completed wasted (tired) and not all that exciting, but that is when we could get a babysitter so we went out. Knowing that we didn't have enough time to eat and catch the early movie we skipped the Movie and opted to eat at a real grown up restaurant. Yes I know that most people eat then go to the 9 o'clock movie but being the wimp that I am I would have fallen asleep or become grumpy. Hence we chose to eat! On the way home we stopped at Target and ended up coming home with surprises for the girls. Ellie dog was in need of a new toy and Addie didn't have any food to go with her new kitchen that she got for Christmas. Yes I know that Christmas was a while ago, but every time I have been to the store they have been out of play food! Tragic I know, finally 2 months later the stores have restocked and now you can buy play food again. And let me tell you, that made our Addie one happy little girl! All in all we all scored in Date Night.

Cost Benefit Analysis

When This Happens.....

By this innocent looking monster!

It is true sometime as a parent I will on occasion take a long shower as an escape. This week it seems to be happening more often. As a pregnant mother of an active 2 year old it is justifiable, to me at least! I figure if I'm not making into clean clothes before 2 in the afternoon an extra five minutes is well deserved, but Addie seems to think differently. She has been making me pay dearly for those extra 5 minutes of solace. Today it was my magical pumas wand in the toilet and the usual demolition of my bed and surrounding area. 2 days ago it was the closet, and Mom was way too irritated to document that one. She was so proud of herself, and it was all I could do not to yell at her and put her timeout forever. I had been cleaning all morning and well into the afternoon. I had finally hemmed the drapes that have only been dragging the floor since we moved in, cleaned toilets, mopped floors, folded laundry, I was Super Mom that day. So Addie thought that she would help by cleaning the bar that holds up all of Paul's shirts. The step stool in the closet that I use to reach the top shelf was perfect, she could stand on it, take all the shirts off the bar and spray it clean with the squirt bottle. I step out of the shower and into my closet to find something to wear and instead I find Addie standing in the middle of a HUGE pile of clothes squirting the shinny rod that is dripping with water saying "nook Mommy nook, aww kean". At this point it is 4 in the afternoon, I am exhausted and counting the minutes until Paul comes home. Lucky for Addie she is darn cute, I couldn't resist her proud smile and her cute "Ta Da". We cleaned up the mess together, and I explained that the rods in the closet NEVER need to be cleaned (we move to often for that to happen) and then we curled up in the bed and watched Addie TV until Dad came home. I'm not yet ready to give in and forgo my long showers, but I am going to have to get better at out smarting my toddler!

Family Picture, Finally!

(It's better than the bare wall that was there before!, Not great But better!)

Back in November when we were in Utah we had our family picture taken. Now here the end of February I am actually having it framed and putting it up in my house. For many that would be procrastinating, but for me a Stutte by blood, it is actually pretty good turn around time. It is interesting that we finally have a real picture taken by a real photographer only minutes before we are pregnant and add another member to the family. I guess that is why photographers stay in business, family pictures are always needing to be updated. Lucky for us our Hobby Lobby opened just in time and happened to have 1/2 price custom framing! Yipee, I love it when that happens. Now that there is a Hobby Lobby closer to me than the grocery store my house might even get decorated! Instead of looking like our barren apartment when we were newly weds. As my Mom would say all in good time, I hope that doesn't mean too long!

Halloween Came a Little Early This Year

Last year for Halloween Addie and I picked out this Tinkerbell costume and I made a hair bow and I made a cute Trick or Treat bag that matched and I even had coordinating fingernail polish for this costume. But as some of you might remember some or vividly than others Addie was a Spider for Halloween. It is sad but true when it came time to actually wear the Tinkerbell costume, Addie refused. I'm not talking about a little whining, she full on had a melt down. I thought that once she had it on then she would see how much she had once loved it, but no. She tried pulling it off her body and trying to tear the skirt off. It is true, it broke my heart. But on the bright side we did make a cute Addams family.

For the past 2 days Addie has been prancing around the house as Tinkerbell. Don't forget to admire the wings, they are her favorite part of the outfit.

Kayak For Sale

So Last week I finally decided that I could part with my kayak. We really need two and if I was being truely honest our family needs a canoe. But lets be serious here. I haven't used the kayak in years. I think that it has recieved more attention getting moved accross the country than actually sitting in any body of water. Addie is the one who plays in it the most. Before she could walk she loved climbing in the thing.

Last week I finally decided that I should give this boat some good ol' TLC. Yeah that was only because someone responded to my add on craigslist and wanted to come and see it. So Addie and I put our jackets on and went out to the garage and started cleaning the boat. I tried to keep Addie out of my hair, but nothing could keep her out of the kayak, not even her bike. So maybe it is a good thing the guy was a no show. Who needs $500 anyway!

Thanks Dad!

One night this week Dad brought home a nice treat! Addie took one look at it and decided it was hers! So here we are on the Kitchen floor enjoying a wonderful taste of Ben & Jerry's finest. It was actually really cute watching Addie hog all the ice cream. She was trying to eat it with her Gelato spoon, and was having a difficult time getting the chunk of brownie. What a funny little girl! I hope that you too get to enjoy some wonderful ice cream! It can make any day better!

Crafty I am Not!

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So for those of you who don't know me all that well, here is a little insight into the world of Jenny. I see things that are way cute and A. I'm in a time crunch and don't have time to order it or B. I think that I will safe a few bucks and make it myself, because it can't be that complicated. Yeah right. In the end I usually end up spending more than it would have cost to just buy it, destroyed my kitchen and become a neglectful wife and mother.The best part is that I know this about myself and yet I still take on new projects! I guess I am a slow learner. I teach the CTR 7 class at church and this month I had 2 kids getting Baptised and I thought I should have a little something to give them for this right of passage. I saw these cute towels and thought "Wow I could do that". Yeah 5 hours later, several curse words and only a few yellings at Addie to leave Mommy alone I completed 2 towels. There are 11 kids in my class, Ahhhhhhhh.

So if you ever hear me say "Oh that would be so easy, why don't you just make it" ask me if I have ever made one, and if I say yes ask how ugly the first on was! I find that the true test of a project is if the first one that you make is actually presentable! In this case, NO. The towels in the picture are actually towels 2 and 3. The first was so bad I took it apart and pretend it didn't happen. And one more bit of advise, Husband if you come home from work and the sewing machine is out, don't even ask about my day. Know that it was filled with frustration and that dinner isn't going to be cooked by me!

All in all I have learned that I am not what you would call a "crafter". Yes I do make things and usually they do turn out cute. But, I hate the actual act of making them, I enjoy the final product and that is the only reason I even go through the headache of figuring out how to make the crap that I do. I either see or imagine it and then I can't find it for sale so I end up driving my family crazy until I have it all completed! At least God didn't give me any artistic abilities because then I think I would have way too many project and my family would have to have an intervention!