How I know I live with a preschooler Tuesday...

We went to a baseball game last weekend. There is a team in town that is made up of college players called the Wisconsin Woodchucks. So we are at this game and the music for charge comes on and at the end AJ yells 'George!' instead of charge because that's what he thinks he hears and since he is such a huge fan of Curious George. We thought it was cute. There was another thing he said at the game that made us just laugh. We told him he had to cheer for the team so he went through his teams, "Go Badgers! Go Brewers! (much to my chagrin, a Cubs fan) Go Game! Go Woodchips!" Hee hee.

Summer Sparkle Playlist

Florence + The Machine (she looks kinda like a fairy in this picture!)

Christina Perri

INXS

Canned Heat

So it's the time again to add some new music to my ipod and this is the list for mid-summer...

1. Dancing Scarlet * Jason Myles Goss
2. Blessed * Brett Dennen
3. Addicted to Love * Florence + The Machine
4. Forever Young * Bob Dylan (from The Essential Bob Dylan album)
5. Going up the Country * Canned Heat
6. Rock & Roll * Eric Hutchinson
7. Amy Amy Amy * Amy Winehouse
8. Jar of Hearts * Christina Perri
9. Butterfly (from the Casa Nova Sessions) * Jason Mraz
10. Hot-n-Fun * N.E.R.D. featuring Nelly Furtado
11. Touch * Natasha Bedingfield
12. Squander * Skunk Anansie
13. Irish Eyes * Jason Myles Goss
14. The Dress Looks Nice On You * Sufjan Stevens
15. Cosmic Love * Florence + The Machine
16. What If You * Joshua Radin
17. Normandie * Shout Out Louds
18. Province * TV On the Radio
19. OK, It's Alright With Me * Eric Hutchinson
20. Need You Tonight * INXS
    

I heard a number of these songs on SYTYCD but they resonated. Especially Jar of Hearts. Christina Perri became an overnight sensation because of her song being on that show. I didn't even like the dance (the WAY it was danced I should say) that went with it but the song... Natasha Bedingfield came on to perform Touch and now AJ and I just dance around the kitchen to it. Of course there is some Bob Dylan. And TV On the Radio has made an appearance after some time off. I have always been a big fan of INXS. HUGE! And Michael Hutchence was always hot. Rest his soul. And Canned Heat reminds me of summer especially Going up the Country.

Book Review: The Sisters Grimm Book 1: The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley

This book was so cute! If you liked Harry Potter you would get a kick out of the wonderfully imaginative The Sisters Grimm series. The two sisters are catapulted into a town where the 'Everafters' (all the fairy tale characters you've ever known) are residents stuck in Ferryport Landing. The girls, descendants of Wilhem Grimm, then start in the family business as detectives in their free time. Michael Buckley has a quick wit and creative writing that is just amazing! I have already downloaded the next 3 to my Kindle and look forward to reading them!

How I know I live with a preschooler Tuesday...

I just love this picture too much not to post it.

In the last three weeks I have morphed from Momma to Mommy. I am not sure how I feel about it. When becoming a mom started to become a reality, I didn't want anything to do 'momma' because I felt like it wasn't really me and then when AJ said it I was hooked. 'Momma' is so endearing and precious. Then it became 'mommy' and while it is still sweet it just isn't the same. When the third m and y get dropped it'll be even more of a jolt in reality. But for now I will embrace Mommy for the time that I get to have it...

Happy Birthday to ME!!

Today is my birthday! The big 35!
You know what I am getting? I'll give you a hint. It looks something like this...

Although I haven't gotten around to ordering it yet. No rush but maybe I'll go over there today.

And since my hubby said, 'What else do you want for your birthday?' I ordered up a custom purse from 1154 LILL Studio. Because now I don't have to carry a diaper bag! At least for awhile...

How I know I live with a preschooler Tuesday but on Wednesday...

It's Camp Potty at our house.

He is doing awesome on the potty training! At first he was really resistant but on Monday I stayed home all day with a pantless little boy and had movie day. We watched A LOT of movies. We talk about poop a lot within our little parent circles so this post is not weird to me! When he took off for the potty on his own Monday night with 'that face' and pooped on the potty for the first time, I almost cried I was so proud. He even turned on the fan. And did a courtesy flush. And then we headed to Barnes & Noble, all 3 of us so proud, and bought him the fire truck book we promised.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to my Dad! Love you dearly!

And Happy Father's Day to my husband, love you to the moon and back... You make being a momma so much easier! You are a fantabulous daddy-o!

I Heart Kent Boyd!

You know I am a So you Think You Can Dance nut... Kent is my favorite contestant this summer. He is so adorable that I just can't stand it. He makes me giggle and he is just a great dancer. I have been rooting for him since his tryout in Chicago. He cracked me up when asked where he was from and he replied, 'Wapokoneta, OH'. The judges then asked him if he'd ever really been to a big city before and he replied, 'We get out once in awhile to Columbus.' He is darling and I love him!! You can go all the way, Kent! You are definitely going to get the votes!

How I know I live with a preschooler Tuesday...

I have a pothole in the middle of my yard. I need to set this story up a bit. Last September, we had 2 very large trees cut down in our yard. In March, we decided that the area where the trees were would be a good place for the new playset. In April, the guys came to remove the 2 very large stumps and used the woodchips for under the playset. There had been a small stump in the area where there is now a pothole. The tree guys removed it and filled the hole up with dirt and grass seed. It didn't last very long. It is now a construction site for AJ's Tonka trucks. I guess I will fill it in in the fall. Somebody needs to get that boy a sandbox stat before my flower beds become the next unplanned construction site...

Now I also have a pile of dirt.

Summer Sun 2010 Playlist

Lady Gaga Veneer by Jose Gonzalez

Planet Waves by Bob Dylan

If it isn't obvious I must be doing something wrong...

A new playlist is a must to start the summer off right! It has felt like July this May. Hot, hot, hot. Well, we did have 3 inches of snow on May 7th but we had 92 degrees on May 24th! We conveniently missed the snow while we were in Florida in 88 degree sunshine... What is up with that? That's Wisconsin for you! So here's the playlist:

1. Girl From the North Country * Good old Bob (Dylan that is...)
2. That Was a Crazy Game of Poker (Live Acoustic Version) * O.A.R.
3. How You Like Me Now * The Heavy
4. Darlin' Do Not Fear * Brett Dennen
5. Just Dance * Lady Gaga & Colby O'Donis
6. Forever Young * Bob Dylan (from the Planet Waves album)
7. Naive * The Kooks
8. Tambourine * The Happy Hollows
9. The Devil Never Sleeps * Iron & Wine
10. Heartbeats * Jose Gonzalez
11. The Swimming Song * Loudon Wainwright III
12. Song to Woody * Bobby D, once again (he really is my favorite!!)
13. Breathe In Breathe Out * Mat Kearney
14. Back Against the Wall * Cage the Elephant
15. In My Dreams * Eels
16. Young Folks * Peter Bjorn and John
17. By Your Side * My Robot Friend featuring Dean Wareham
18. Kite Song * Rosie Thomas (Thank you Summer for this sweet tune!!)
19. Bad Romance * Glee Cast (Glee girls and Kurt- LOVED this episode!)
20. I Buried a Bone * Blind Pilot
21. Stay In the Shade * Jose Gonzalez
    

There you have it. This is what I am listening to right now. I am a total Gleek. I admit it. And I am not ashamed. The Lady Gaga/Kiss episode was totally fun. My little guy loves Lady Gaga, especially Poker Face. I liked that 6th grader, Greyson Chance's version of Paparazzi better than Lady Gaga's. Check that out for sure. I can honestly say that I like the beginning of Tambourine but hate the end. Blind Pilot is becoming one of my favorite bands. Jose Gonzalez is totally rad. The Devil Never Sleeps is just an AWESOME song! And, of course, my musical heart belongs to Bob.

Happy Anniversary Steve!

At our first house with our dog, Cosmo. Sadly Cosmo is no longer with us... :(

In my Uncle Ron's sweet 1930's Ford Phaeton

8 years ago today!

I love you with all my heart!

How I know I live with a preschooler Tuesday...

AJ digs robots so whenever the Droid phone commercial comes on he always wants to watch it. Like the one below:

And then he runs around saying "Droid" in a creepy voice to anyone who'll listen BUT nobody knows what the heck he is saying!

How I know I live with a preschooler Tuesday...

I was pushing and pushing him (while reading my Kindle...) and he stopped squealing with delight and my arm was getting tired so I stopped... I went to sit down at the table and saw a very sleepy monkey.

How do they not fall forward instantly?

He was not happy when I woke him and he saw me taking pictures of him!

Giveaway over at B is for...!!

My friend, Summer, is hosting a giveaway from Love Erica over on her blog b is for... brownie, breathe and believe. Erica makes some very sweet jewelry at her etsy shop. Check it out here. You can win 3 different items. Head on over there now!

Aventurine Earrings

Rhodonite Earrings

Sweet elephant necklace

(that's mine- don't get any ideas!!)

I love her starfish necklace. I might just have to get that. I am kicking myself that I didn't buy a starfish necklace while I was in Florida. I was even thinking about it when I was in the airport.

How I know I live with a preschooler Tuesday...

He talks to all animals! :)

Talking to Fred. Fred didn't talk. There was a bird at the end of the cages that said 'Hello' and 'How are you?' so that was what AJ kept saying to him. Then when we were leaving, he turned around and ran back to say goodbye to that bird. He just said 'hello' again.

Quacking at the ducks.

Talking to the gecko. He talked to all the geckos he saw hoping that they would talk back.

Ethel Mermaid

I was asked to do a piece for an art auction at the Center for the Visual Arts in Wausau. I sell my cards in the gift shop there. It is called Just for the Art of It! and every artist is given a 12"x12" canvas for the Art by the Foot grid (last year's grid is on there). You can do whatever you want so I had a mermaid in my head. Before you think 'Wow, Ethel Mermaid is so clever! How'd she think of that?' I didn't think of it... Sesame Street did and I thought it was too funny to pass up.

My parents were on Sanibel Island, FL (the shelling capital of America) about 2 months before we were so I asked my mom to look for some purple scallop shells for the bra top and some other small shells for the base of the painting. So I used sandpaper along the bottom, found sea glass and tiny shells, acrylic paint for the water background and plants, glitter paper (yes, I punched out all those holes and glued them on... it took me around 4 hours!!) for the tail and other little fishies, paper for her body, a real starfish that my mom bought while in FL, seed beads for the necklace and fishy bubbles, embroidery floss for her hair and small silk flowers for her hair and for the plants. Overall, I thought it was pretty fun. Very kitschy! I almost didn't want to give it up!!

The auction was this past Friday night. However, I didn't post about it until now because all the pieces are supposed to remain anonymous until after they are auctioned off. I didn't go because I didn't want to see how much my piece would go for. The women that run the event (Katie & Jessica from the CVA), said that my piece was 'so you' which is really true, so anyone at the event who knows me would have easily picked out my piece. I had fun making it and pretty much did it the day before and day it was 'due'. Good thing I knew what I was doing in my head!

Mother's Day Gift

One thing you might hear me complain about is that I never get a handmade gift from my kiddo because I am always there helping him with it... Well, while we were in Florida we stopped (my mother in law, AJ and I) at a little shop that we thought was going to be a gift shop but it was a craft/quilt shop. They had containers of mixed beads and were doing make and take bracelets. We helped AJ make one for me which I absolutely adore! He chose and threaded most of the beads on himself (which is very tricky for a 3 year old but he has pretty good fine motor skills) and I am so proud of him! He enjoyed making it too. I have been wearing it everyday since he made it. Isn't it just too precious?


My parents just got back from a 3 week trip to Europe (Barcelona, cruise to Greece, Croatia and Italy and then another week in Italy) and they bought me this gorgeous purple glass bead pendant from Venice that I absolutely LOVE! These pictures don't do it justice!

How I know I live with a toddler/preschooler Tuesday...

We went to Captiva Island, FL this past week. We left on Friday, April 30th since we were flying out of Minneapolis and stayed over night. This was Friday mid morning (yes, he is still in his jammies in the mid morning...). 10 minutes before? All of that 'stuff' was packed in the suitcase. I go downstairs to check my email and come back up to unpacked and he is wearing Daddy's golf shoes that were on the bottom of the suitcase. Maybe he just didn't want to go... The day before? He did the same thing when I had just made the bed. I came back into our room after making his bed and all the sheets are in a pile on the floor. How do I get anyhting done when it just seems to get undone??

Crafty Swap!

So I am particaipating in another swap and I am sorry that I didn't get to blog about it before the deadline but I pretty much found out about it a day before it and I was on vacation all last week. Like vacation where you don't check your email. Yeah, a little fun in the sun with my family at the beach. It is from Andrea's Originals and it basically involves a small, flat rate box and any extra crafty supplies that I have stashed around the studio. Which are A LOT. I have extra stuff up the ying-yang! So this one was up my alley. I am excited to see what I get from Cathy (who coincidentally has the first name of one of my SIL's and the last name (well, her maiden name) of my other SIL. Weird.) from Psychic Mama * Indigo Child and Ladyhightower's Meme Castle. I will post pictures of sent and received soon!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! I love you very much!

This picture just warms my heart of my mom and AJ- the little guy that makes me a momma!