Today I Watched A Talk On YouTube.

Bear with me here.  I'll follow up with my opinions on this tomorrow.

Today I Ate Ice Cream.

Confession:  I eat ice cream almost everyday.  I love me some sugar!  In any form.  Ice cream happens to be Hubster's fave, so I eat some almost every night right along with him.  :) 

Cheese. e.

Thought I'd share this fun little freebie with you (a little bit of a weird combo, though)!  I live in a location that makes getting to the nearest Cold Stone a hassle, so go eat some for me!

Today I've Decided To Let the Cup Training Commence.

Ash is almost two.  She drinks out of the two bottles she gets a day (one at naptime and one at bedtime) and the straw sippy cups at all other times.  She has always been completely and totally unable to grasp the idea of lifting her arms to get the liquid out of a cup or normal sippy cup.  She expects me (or whoever else is playing servant to her princess at the time) to hold her sippy cup for her if it's not the straw kind.  But I'm getting sooooooooooo tired of cleaning out all those yucky straw parts, ya know?  And I'm thinking that it's time to get rid of the bottles.

Inspection.

She's not grouchy.  Just makin' a scowly face for the camera.

Cheese!  See?  That's as far up as she will lift her arms. 

So, it's going to take some very involved cup training on my part.  She isn't an easy study with this.  She gets frustrated and gives up easily because she doesn't want to lift her noodle arms.  Wish me luck!  So far she's made a mess and I had to hold her arms up for her.  Hey!  At least I wasn't holding the cup for her!

Today I Drove All Over Seattle.

I got a little lost going from Ash's signing time class in North Seattle to the Joann Fabrics in Ballard.  Then I got lost trying to get to Downtown Seattle.  I know I was in Fremont for a bit.  Then I went to West Seattle to go to the Target there.  Yeah, I was everywhere.  Got honked at twice.  Heheh.  I was one of those annoying, slow, all-over-place, trying-to-figure-out-where-I-am, looking both ways times 15, methodical drivers. 

One thing I realized (again!) as I was taking many a scenic route, is that Seattle is a neat, beautiful, bustling, happening place!

So - I thought, hey!  Why not share some of my favorite things about the Seattle/Tacoma area?  These are not in any particular order of favoritism or importance.

1. Alki Beach.  Hubby and I spent a lot of time here during out dating time.  It's a hugely long sandy beach with nice big sidewalks for running, walking, biking, long boarding, roller balding, etc.  There are lots of great restaurants along the beach front and some cool shops too.  There's also a GREAT view of Downtown Seattle from Alki.  And it has a miniature statue of liberty.  :)

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2.  Washington State Ferries.  I ride ferries often.  They got to sooooo many awesome places!  I'm going to list some of these destinations that I recommend.  The Mukilteo ferry that goes to Whidbey Island, San Juan Islands, Vashon Island, and Port Townsend.  I've seen lots of fun water animals (like orcas and otters) while riding the ferry. 

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3. Pike Place Market.  Yummy food, arts & crafts, FISH, and interesting street entertainers.  It's generally pretty crowded.  I love the fish thrower guys and the gorgeous, cheap flower bouquets

(I took this during the Christmas season of 2009)

4. Point Defiance Park.  So much to do here!  The zoo and aquarium and Fort Nisqually are my first picks, but the lumber train is really enjoyable too.

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5.  Tillicum Village.  PRICEY!  I've only been once, but it was sooooooooooooo cool!  The Argosy cruise ride out to Blake Island, the salmon dinner and the amazing and talented Native American dancers. 

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6. Seattle Center.  So much to do.  One could spend all day (and all ones money too) here!  Too much to describe.  I'll just provide you with the links and urge you to add it to the Seattle Bucket List.  The Childrens Museum. IMAX Theater.  Pacific Science Center.  Seattle Laser Dome. 

(Ash, last year, watching the fountain the the Seattle Center)

7. La Rustica.  My absolute favorite place to eat.  Linguine de Mare is....the best.  I really can't come up with a word that describes it well enough.  Pretty special place to my husband and me.  Tiny little restaurant in West Seattle, near Alki Beach.

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8.  Seattle Waterfront.  I love the Seattle Aquarium.  It's been niiiiiiiiicely updated with lots to see and do.  Ye Olde Curiosity Shop is a must see with the shrunken heads and mummies, to name a few of the bizarre displays housed there. 

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9. Green Lake.  I like coming here on a sunny day to go roller blading.  It's also nice for walking or boating.  And they've got a great community center with lots of different classes to choose from. 

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10.  Triple XXX Root Beer Drive-In.   Hahaha!  Just writing that makes me crave a root beer float!  And these guys make the best hamburgers.  Mmmmmm-mmmm!   This isn't really in Seattle, but 20 minutes east, in Issaquah. 

One place I really don't recommend is the Experience Music Project.  **snore**  And expensive.  

Well, that's it!  Hope you enjoy the virtual tour!  Let me know if you're ever around and want a tour guide!  :)  I love living in the amazing and vibrant Seattle/Tacoma area!!  Even if I still get lost occasionally.

Today I Danced To The High Kings.

I am Irish.  I'm also Norwegian, German, Swedish, Danish, and English.  But - it's Ireland that my heart yearns to see.  Someday.  Soon. 

I love the High Kings.  I think they're great and when I want to dance around the room with Ash, or get my rear in gear for some good house cleaning then I turn on Pandora and hit the High Kings station.  :)  Click here to listen to the song that gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.

 I packed some boxes today.  Woohoo!!



Anyways, my girls are more Irish than I am since my husband is probably Irish on both sides.  Meaning, we know he is on one side, but lost the trail on his dad's side.  But our last name is pretty Irish, so I'm 90% sure that he's Irish on both sides. 

And then there's me.  My mother's mother's mother is a Caldwell.  They are Irish and someone traced our line all the way back to Brian Boru, the last High King of Ireland!!!  **regal pose**

I still remember how excited I was when I discovered this.  I was literally hopping up and down.  I turned to Tony (my husband) and said (with much authority), "I am a princess!"  He thought that was funny, of course.  And especially later on when he was hugging me too tight and I told him to not squeeze the royal body.  Hahaha!

Other cool info on the same subject:  Brian of Boru had 4 wives and I (of course) come from his most notorious and beautiful wife.  The one who loved Brian the most and he loved her, but they just couldn't get along and divorced.  Weird.  And they had a lot of kids too.  Supposedly she did have something to do with his murder, but was said to have truly mourned his death.  That doesn't make much sense to me.

So, anyways.   I'm Irish.  And happy about it. 

And a quick thank you for all the sweet comments to my sister.  And the uplifting comments left when I was having a bad day.  Y'all are so nice.  Thank you. 

And yes, I can say "y'all" because I lived in Houston for almost two years.  ;)

Today I Am Spotlighting My Sister, Rachel.

This post is dedicated to my little sis, Rach.  Why?  Because.  She's awesome.  She Ash's most favorite person in the world.  After me of course.  :)  Anyways, Rachel's goin' through a little phase right now.  She doesn't think she's photogenic and is a bit of a stinker about getting her picture taken.  She says it has something to do with her smile.  **gasp**  What?!?!  Her teeth and smile are perfect, folks.  I'm pretty sure I went through a don't-you-dare-point-a-picture-in-my-direction-or-I-will-strangle-you phase.  Luckily it didn't last long.  I think I decided I was pretty good lookin' after all.  **laugh**  Well, I want to show Rachel that SHE IS beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeautiful!  And photogenic.  And has an amazing smile.  And the camera loves her.  And she's got adorable dimples.  Unfortunately, most of these pics aren't super recent because of the before mentioned anti-camera behavior. 

This is how most of the pictures taken of Rachel look these days.  Hehe.

This is happy, cute, little Rachel about 3 or 4 years ago.

And here she is with our sister Molly (again, about 3 or 4 years ago) - all dressed up for fun.  Sorry Moo.  :)  And where did Rachel's other arm go?  Hm....  Pretty girls though.  Even the tutu-head.  **snicker**

I looooooove this picture.  I don't know why we don't have more pics of this dynamic duo.  Oh yeah.  It's because only ONE of them likes the camera.  For now.  :)  This was taken July '09.

See that big smile?  Beautiful.  And she's smiling because she's in Forks.  :) 

Playing on the windy sands of La Push Beach.  This pic and the one above were taken a year ago this month.

Ok.  She's not smiling here.  Camera shy at this point.  But I just adore how she's hugging my baby so close.  She was helping me with my girls on this day in June.

Most recent.  Sort of a smile.  I think I already posted this photo.  Here's a closer-up.  July of this year. 

The best, most recent I could get of Ash and her favorite auntie.  So cute.  This was taken on Monday.

Sorry it's so blurry.  Poor point and click skills on my part.  But it certainly backs up my claims, doesn't it?

Gah-geous.

So, come on y'all, leave a little comment love so Rach can know that her family isn't out to lunch.  She really is eye candy.  :)  And that's just the outside.  Her insides are even more squeezable.  She's got a great voice.  She's the next baby whisperer.  She can knit anything.  She's got quite the talent for colors.  She's an awesome cleaner and organizer (when she wants to be).  Oh, hi Rachel!  Don't hate me.  This is what big sisters are supposed to do.  ;)

Today I Looked At The Calendar And My Jaw Dropped.

Britt is 6 months old today!  Wow.  I've got to get her in for her 6 month well baby check-up and post her stats.  If I were to guess I'd predict her to be: healthy, happy, plenty chubby, long in the torso and short in the legs.  :)

Can you believe that this little bundle of joy is now....

this chubby, interactive, attention-loving beeb?  Oh, please don't mind the way Ash decorated the floor.  Gotta catch the moments when they happen, right?  Regardless of the ugly background. 

Here's a timeline, of Britt-Britt's life so far, in pictures.

Britt's birthday and first bath.  Daddy held her hand. 

Britt - 1 month.  Lovin' tummy time.

Britt - 2 months.  Smiling more and more (thank heavens!).  Hey!  Where did all that thick hair go?

Britt - 3 months.  Coming up to the much anticipated turning point.  You know, that time where the baby stops crying so much and starts seeing the world and gets happy about life.  Ash hit that at 3 months.  Britt held out until 4 months.  :) 

Britt - 4 months.  See?  Happy.  She knows she's cute.

Britt - 5 months.  Wiggle wart.  Can't hold still.  Her current favorite things are bouncing up and down in the jumperoo, sitting on the floor surrounded by plenty of things to grab, and....

playing with her big sister.  She loves to go with me, into Ash's room, to say good morning.  It's the sweetest thing to see my two daughters greet each other with big grins and hugs after a night apart. 

**love**

So, there you have it.  Crazy, crazy.  I swear Britt blew through her first 6 months faster than Ash went through hers.  Hope this isn't shades of things to come.  Actually, probably is.  I'm going to have a 2 year old in November.  Ack!!!

Today I Had a Terribly, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

I'm feeling like a failure mom and homemaker today.  Both babies have been kind of more needy the past couple days.  It's always hard when they do that at the same time.  Guess I'd better start getting used to it, huh? 

Ash been especially trying.  She is sooooo reactive lately!  Fake crying, loud howls of indignation, dramatic throwing of herself to the floor, kicking, whining, no patience, etc.  And she isn't using "thank you" like she was.  It's like she's just REALLY mad and grumpy all the time.  Discipline hasn't been working and, believe me, I've tried EVERYTHING!  Maybe I'm just impatient because even though I know that consistency is key, it seems like something ought to be working for her!

(picture by imcountingufoz)

Oh, and then I was trying to be all crafty today too.  I got an Iron Man t-shirt for Hubby several months back and he didn't like it.  So, I decided to cut it down to size for my little brother.  Well - long story short, I am a lame seamstress.  I ended up getting the sleeve on finally only to realize that I got them on inside out.  Then I saw that I'd actually put the back of the shirt on with the tag out.  And then I couldn't get the neck seam to match up.  I may or may not have shed a tear or two.  Then I gave up.  Defeated. 

And then there's my house.  Not packed.  Not anything.  I look at everything and just feel overwhelmed.  I may be a bit ADD about the whole thing because when I get interrupted by the girls (they DO come first) I find it very difficult to get back on track.  I don't do with with transitions, I guess.

So there you have it.  Oh yeah, and I have a huge headache. 

Thank you so much for listening to my grousing. 

If you've got any great ideas for helping 2 years stay happy and content, I'm all ears.

If you've got a good tutorial for upcycling adult t-shirts to fit children, puh-leeze send me a link!

Today I Went Boot Shopping.

The 23rd is the first day of Fall.  As far as I'm concerned no Autumn of Winter is quite right without a couple pairs of boots to get me through it.  I think I may end up with more than a few pairs this year.  I'm finding soooooooooo many that I love.  I'd love input.  Whether you like or dislike. 

Born Riding Boot

Tall Motorcycle Boot

Classic Cardy Boot

Larkspur Boot

Short Button Boot

Uma Print Boot

Rubber Harness Boot

Born Mesa Boot

Biker Boot

Simple Toest Boot

I also like this boot, and this one, as well as this pair, and these.  I should probably stop there.  I could keep going.  But these are the ones on my mind right now.

I have one pair of boots (ok two, but I'm getting rid of my Ann Taylor boots because they are so worn and uncomfortable) and they are black suede with lambswool interior - ugg like type.  So - what should I get first?  I've never done ankle boots.  I really need the tall, just-under-the-knee boots.  Ack!  So many options!  **head is spinning**

I just want to buy them all at the same time, but I've gotta keep to the budget.  And my sister, Kara, gave me a great idea.  Reward myself for exercising!  So - I'm gonna start paying myself for each 10 minutes of work out.  I'll start tomorrow.  :)

Today I Went To My Babiest Sister's Birthday Party.

My youngest sis turned 4. We went to her party at my parents' house this evening. I think I'll just let the pictures do the talking. Basically the evening went like this: dinner, presents, cake, and then hanging out and talking. My kids got to bed 2 hours late but it was totally worth it. Everyone had a lot of fun. Oh, and I'm calling my little siblings by their nicknames here.

Dolled up and ready to par-tay!

Dessert.  Mom did a sweet job.

Lovin' the pink with white polka dots!  Too cute.

Homemade pizza.  YUM!

Britt playing with Quinn's braids.  Quinn said, "She's biting them!"  And indeed she was.

Ash loves Nana's house.

Pretty pink packages tied up with string.

Birthday Girl - so excited.

The present we brought.  The hair clippies are from Monkey See Monkey Do.  Inside were homemade crayons and a coloring book.

My lovely sister-in-law, Monica, reading to Ash. 

New Doll!

3 of my sisters and my 1st baby.

My brother David and his wife Monica.  Expecting their first at the end of the year!  Woohoo!

Nana and Ash.

"Happy Birthday to You!"  Happy 4th Beethoven!