Anyway, I was on Facebook and saw this picture on a friend's profile. I found it quite funny and couldn't resist emailing it to some family and friends as well as posting it here on the blog.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Funny Sign
I am VERY much against people texting while driving!!! Most people who do it make various justifications for doing it but in my opinion there is no text in the entire world that would justify a response while driving...if it's really THAT important then pull over! Here in Michigan, as of July 1, texting while driving is illegal. Not that this will stop people from doing it but maybe it will deter a few and thus save some unsuspecting person's life. If only there were a texting lane on the road that was surrounded by cement barricades...then all those people who feel the need to text while driving can have at it and just injure/kill themselves without affecting all the other drivers around them, maybe we can swap that for the HOV lanes.
Anyway, I was on Facebook and saw this picture on a friend's profile. I found it quite funny and couldn't resist emailing it to some family and friends as well as posting it here on the blog.
Anyway, I was on Facebook and saw this picture on a friend's profile. I found it quite funny and couldn't resist emailing it to some family and friends as well as posting it here on the blog.
Monday, June 21, 2010
A Conversation With a 21 Month Old...
This afternoon I was laying around in our bedroom doing a sudoku puzzle while I waited for Y to wake from her nap. She had already slept 2 hours and the painters outside were making a lot of noise (they're painting all the trim around the building) so I knew she would wake fairly soon. Literally, as soon as she woke up her first 2 words were "outside" and "swimming." I had been debating all morning (without mentioning it to her of course) whether I should take her to the pool after her nap or not. During the morning the sun was really bright and strong so I wasn't really sure if I should or not but when she woke from her nap it was pretty much overcast so I just decided to go for it. Now when I walked into her room I never actually told her that I was going to take her to the pool but the following two videos will show you that I apparently didn't need to say anything because she already had her mind made up on the issue. These videos were taken RIGHT after I took her out of her crib (well after I ran to get the camera) but this is the first thing that she did and the conversation that followed. It shows where her priorities are and makes me wonder what are we going to do once fall and winter come...
The Attempt:
The Conversation:
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Father's Day
So every year on Father's Day I always go into this whole topic of how grateful I am for my wonderful husband and how he's an awesome dad, and don't worry it's all still true, but I'm gonna skip it this year. I've reminded him of how awesome I know he is and how well he fulfills his roles in our lives and I'm content with that. I will say that I am still completely, head-over-heels in love with him and maybe even more so now (if that's even possible). I don't know that I've ever met anyone as selfless as he is, especially when it involves Y or myself.
Today we didn't really do a whole bunch but we did take a short drive to the park and were able to snap a few photos. He played with Y, taking her from one place to the other doing whatever it is that she wanted to do. It was a nice family outing, here are some pictures:
Today we didn't really do a whole bunch but we did take a short drive to the park and were able to snap a few photos. He played with Y, taking her from one place to the other doing whatever it is that she wanted to do. It was a nice family outing, here are some pictures:
Technologically Advanced...
This morning while I made B some breakfast (pancakes in the shapes of "#" and "1" to represent #1 Dad) Y wanted to be distracted so she started asking for games. Now when she starts saying "games" that means she either wants to "play" the Wii with you or she wants to play games on my iPod Touch. I have downloaded several apps for her to play on my iPod and she loves them and has mastered them already. For the most part I stick to free apps but there is this one company, Duck Duck Moose, that has created these awesome apps from children's songs. Several months ago I downloaded their Itsy Bitsy Spider app and it has been great at keeping her occupied while at restaurants or even at home. Well recently I've downloaded a couple more of their apps since they are now 50% off ($0.99) and she loves those too! One is The Wheels on the Bus and another is called Fish School which goes through the alphabet, numbers, colors, etc. (Side note: she knows her ABCs for the most part and can count from 1-10 in english and 1-6 in spanish, and she is doing pretty well in learning her body parts in spanish as well, woohoo)!!
Anyway, she has pretty much mastered the use of my iPod. She says "games" when she wants to play games and "see baby" when she wants to watch videos or see pictures of herself. She knows which screen has her games on it and how to get to that screen and she knows which button to press to exit any app she enters. Fortunately she has not figured out what mommy's passcode is or how to enter it! It's an expensive toy for her that's for sure, but fortunately she is extremely gentle with it but I still try not to let her play with it unsupervised (unless I REALLY need to distract her).
Here are some pictures of her relaxing with daddy on the couch as mommy made breakfast (and snapped a few photos)...enjoy!
Anyway, she has pretty much mastered the use of my iPod. She says "games" when she wants to play games and "see baby" when she wants to watch videos or see pictures of herself. She knows which screen has her games on it and how to get to that screen and she knows which button to press to exit any app she enters. Fortunately she has not figured out what mommy's passcode is or how to enter it! It's an expensive toy for her that's for sure, but fortunately she is extremely gentle with it but I still try not to let her play with it unsupervised (unless I REALLY need to distract her).
Here are some pictures of her relaxing with daddy on the couch as mommy made breakfast (and snapped a few photos)...enjoy!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Kiddie Pool
On Thursday we were in Canada for the funeral of B's grandpa. After the service, lunch and watching the Mexico vs. France World Cup match we decided it was finally time to put that kiddie pool, which was purchased last fall, to use. Her Nana B. bought it for her at the end of the season last year and you may remember this post where Y was able to "use it" indoors.
Well it was filled with water early in the morning so that the water would be the perfect temperature by the time we were ready to use it. Y had a blast playing and splashing in it and we could tell she really enjoyed not having to be held while in the water. She apparently likes to do her own thing, here are some pictures and videos.
Well it was filled with water early in the morning so that the water would be the perfect temperature by the time we were ready to use it. Y had a blast playing and splashing in it and we could tell she really enjoyed not having to be held while in the water. She apparently likes to do her own thing, here are some pictures and videos.
Videos:
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Park
Today we took Y to the park for a goodbye party for two families we know from church that are going to be moving. One has been a medical resident here and having served his time is going to be moving to Tennessee to start his practice. The other family is just a temporary goodbye, he works for GM and has been assigned to China for the next several years but they will return here after their assignment is done.
Y really enjoyed herself, running around, playing in the grass, eating cookies, etc. Here are some pictures of Y playing on the playscape.
Y really enjoyed herself, running around, playing in the grass, eating cookies, etc. Here are some pictures of Y playing on the playscape.
Video: (excuse the fact that it's sideways, I forgot I had the camera turned):
One Step Closer
Most of you likely already know this (because many of you are also my Facebook friends) but today we got the news that our offer was accepted on a condo. We absolutely love the place, even moreso than the first one we made an offer on. The only major plus for the previous condo was the third bedroom but in this condo the bedrooms are so I can deal with it, also this condo is larger and more open than the other place. I've been telling B for a couple weeks now (ever since we first saw pictures of it) that I had a feeling this one was THE one and after viewing it a week ago the feeling only became stronger. We thought we had run into a hiccup shortly after deciding to make an offer but at this point things are looking great. We have to wait for an FHA approval of the condo complex so unless they say no to the complex then we are scheduled to close on July 20th.
It has been quite amazing to me how well this has gone along and how well I even handled the news of the possible hiccup. I guess I should explain that we have looked at and considered making offers on several condos since the last one fell threw. Each time there was something that didn't go in our favor and we weren't able to get it and each time after talking to our agent I would hang up the phone angry, frustrated and in tears because I wanted it so badly. But when our agent called this time and told me that it was potentially a no-go I was surprisingly calm about the whole thing, it completely amazed me because I dare say I loved this place far more than any other we have ever considered. And this peace and calm feeling never wavered, I never once cried, got sad or frustrated. The next morning we got a call from our agent telling us that the condo complex had already begun taking the steps to get the complex FHA approved, that the owner of the condo sits on the board of the homeowners association in the complex so he was working hard to get everything done and could get us access to information that we otherwise would have to pay for, our agent informed us that he would pay for any cost associated with getting the complex approved (which could be anywhere from $150-$1500 and we would have been responsible for paying). Everything just started coming together and finally for the first time in this entire process I feel 100% certain that we are on the right path.
I'll keep you guys abreast of everything that goes on with it and hope it will be nothing but good news. I also cannot begin to express how grateful I am that we choose to deal with a mortgage broker instead of going out to shop for a loan on our own. He has literally been a lifesaver with both offers that we have made and handling the FHA process for us instead of us walking blindly through the whole process. The best part of it is that we don't have to pay him a dime for doing it all. Our agent has also been amazing, so if you live in the Metro-Detroit area and you're ever in search of a real estate agent or wanna talk to a mortgage broker just let me know and I'll be happy to pass along their info!
Here are some links for you guys to view if you wanna know more about the place:
It has been quite amazing to me how well this has gone along and how well I even handled the news of the possible hiccup. I guess I should explain that we have looked at and considered making offers on several condos since the last one fell threw. Each time there was something that didn't go in our favor and we weren't able to get it and each time after talking to our agent I would hang up the phone angry, frustrated and in tears because I wanted it so badly. But when our agent called this time and told me that it was potentially a no-go I was surprisingly calm about the whole thing, it completely amazed me because I dare say I loved this place far more than any other we have ever considered. And this peace and calm feeling never wavered, I never once cried, got sad or frustrated. The next morning we got a call from our agent telling us that the condo complex had already begun taking the steps to get the complex FHA approved, that the owner of the condo sits on the board of the homeowners association in the complex so he was working hard to get everything done and could get us access to information that we otherwise would have to pay for, our agent informed us that he would pay for any cost associated with getting the complex approved (which could be anywhere from $150-$1500 and we would have been responsible for paying). Everything just started coming together and finally for the first time in this entire process I feel 100% certain that we are on the right path.
I'll keep you guys abreast of everything that goes on with it and hope it will be nothing but good news. I also cannot begin to express how grateful I am that we choose to deal with a mortgage broker instead of going out to shop for a loan on our own. He has literally been a lifesaver with both offers that we have made and handling the FHA process for us instead of us walking blindly through the whole process. The best part of it is that we don't have to pay him a dime for doing it all. Our agent has also been amazing, so if you live in the Metro-Detroit area and you're ever in search of a real estate agent or wanna talk to a mortgage broker just let me know and I'll be happy to pass along their info!
Here are some links for you guys to view if you wanna know more about the place:
She Didn't Get It From Her Mother...
You're probably wondering what exactly didn't she get from her mother (aside from her complexion). Well she did not inherit her love of water from me, that is 100% certain! I have learned to swim but am far from having conquered my fear but our darling Y doesn't seem to have much fear when it comes to water (short of getting her hair washed).
A couple weeks back, as soon as the pool opened on Memorial Day weekend, we took Y to the pool. Almost as soon as we arrived you could read the excitement on her face, but as I look back I'm beginning to think the look was more of impatience than excitement. I wasn't going to go swimming because I really wanted to just sit by and take some pictures so we decided B would be the one to take her in. Well B is extremely sensitive to temperature change so he had to slowly get into the water and let his body adjust before taking her in with him. Fortunately it had been very warm out for a while so the water wasn't too cold because as soon as she saw B in the water she began flailing her body around, throwing quite the little tantrum because she had to wait to get in. Needless to say she didn't really calm down any until I passed her to B.
On Memorial Day we had some friends ask us if they could come over and swim in our pool and we told them sure but unfortunately they came while Y was down for her nap, and afterwards we had to go our and run some errands so Y wasn't able to go swimming. But on Tuesday, B had the day off work and as we were headed for the pool were informed by some young boys who also live in the complex that the pool was closed because someone (an obvious idiot out to ruin the fun of everyone else and who also couldn't plainly read, or chose to ignore, the 'NO GLASS' sign) decided to put glass in the pool. It isn't necessary to explain that it is IMPOSSIBLE to explain to a 21 month old that she can't go swimming because someone put glass in the pool. Don't even try explaining because they can't understand, it is completely pointless to do so. But I gave it a try anyway. And her reply? She told her daddy that she wanted "down" and when he put her down she took him by the index finger and walked him to the gate of the pool trying her hardest to pull it open. When that failed, the tears started and did not stop for at least a half hour. We offered her cookies, chocolate milk (her absolute favorite treat), ice cream and anything else you could imagine and all she would do in response was cry and say, "water." She was so upset that she didn't even throw a tantrum about it, she just cried and cried and cried some more in between her requests for "water."
Due to rainy weather and other time conflicts we didn't get to take her again until Saturday. I took her alone this time while B was at work and this time it hadn't been so warm out for several days and the water was pretty cold. It took me a while to get accustomed to the temperature and Y was, yet again, impatient about it. This time I was holding her as I entered the pool and she just couldn't comprehend why it was taking me so long to fully submerge us in the water. When I was finally in far enough that she too was submerged in the water, she had absolutely no reaction to the water temperature (oh to be a child again)! We played and swam for at least an hour and at times I would notice a shiver run down her body. I would then ask her, "all done? ready to get out? wanna go home?" and her reply was always a very quick and very firm "NO." We finally got out once B was home and it was time for me to cook dinner but getting her out was not an easy task, she really threw quite the tantrum. But alas, she got over it and we went home.
Today we didn't get to go swimming but I can tell she has the routine down pat. We were in her room as I was changing the bedding in her crib and she walks over, grabs the sunscreen, grabs her cover-up, sits on the floor and attempts to open the sunscreen and apply it. She has also learned how to say "swimming" which I am sure I will be hearing a lot this summer.
Here are some pictures of her first trip to the outdoor pool this year:
A couple weeks back, as soon as the pool opened on Memorial Day weekend, we took Y to the pool. Almost as soon as we arrived you could read the excitement on her face, but as I look back I'm beginning to think the look was more of impatience than excitement. I wasn't going to go swimming because I really wanted to just sit by and take some pictures so we decided B would be the one to take her in. Well B is extremely sensitive to temperature change so he had to slowly get into the water and let his body adjust before taking her in with him. Fortunately it had been very warm out for a while so the water wasn't too cold because as soon as she saw B in the water she began flailing her body around, throwing quite the little tantrum because she had to wait to get in. Needless to say she didn't really calm down any until I passed her to B.
On Memorial Day we had some friends ask us if they could come over and swim in our pool and we told them sure but unfortunately they came while Y was down for her nap, and afterwards we had to go our and run some errands so Y wasn't able to go swimming. But on Tuesday, B had the day off work and as we were headed for the pool were informed by some young boys who also live in the complex that the pool was closed because someone (an obvious idiot out to ruin the fun of everyone else and who also couldn't plainly read, or chose to ignore, the 'NO GLASS' sign) decided to put glass in the pool. It isn't necessary to explain that it is IMPOSSIBLE to explain to a 21 month old that she can't go swimming because someone put glass in the pool. Don't even try explaining because they can't understand, it is completely pointless to do so. But I gave it a try anyway. And her reply? She told her daddy that she wanted "down" and when he put her down she took him by the index finger and walked him to the gate of the pool trying her hardest to pull it open. When that failed, the tears started and did not stop for at least a half hour. We offered her cookies, chocolate milk (her absolute favorite treat), ice cream and anything else you could imagine and all she would do in response was cry and say, "water." She was so upset that she didn't even throw a tantrum about it, she just cried and cried and cried some more in between her requests for "water."
Due to rainy weather and other time conflicts we didn't get to take her again until Saturday. I took her alone this time while B was at work and this time it hadn't been so warm out for several days and the water was pretty cold. It took me a while to get accustomed to the temperature and Y was, yet again, impatient about it. This time I was holding her as I entered the pool and she just couldn't comprehend why it was taking me so long to fully submerge us in the water. When I was finally in far enough that she too was submerged in the water, she had absolutely no reaction to the water temperature (oh to be a child again)! We played and swam for at least an hour and at times I would notice a shiver run down her body. I would then ask her, "all done? ready to get out? wanna go home?" and her reply was always a very quick and very firm "NO." We finally got out once B was home and it was time for me to cook dinner but getting her out was not an easy task, she really threw quite the tantrum. But alas, she got over it and we went home.
Today we didn't get to go swimming but I can tell she has the routine down pat. We were in her room as I was changing the bedding in her crib and she walks over, grabs the sunscreen, grabs her cover-up, sits on the floor and attempts to open the sunscreen and apply it. She has also learned how to say "swimming" which I am sure I will be hearing a lot this summer.
Here are some pictures of her first trip to the outdoor pool this year:
Here is a video documenting how she spent most of her time in the water:
Friday, May 28, 2010
Just in time...
The pool here in our apartment complex opens tomorrow, so I guess I finished her swimsuit coverup just in time! When I originially started it, I was using only the torquoise and the purple to make the stripes then I ended up stopping this in order to start making Q's bolero for Mother's Day. I ended up with an entire unused skein of which yarn so I decided to start the coverup over from the beginning and incorporate some white in there. Once I got a few rows done, I was so happy that I had started over because adding the white yarn really brightened it up quite a bit. It fits her a little long for now (at her knees) but I'm hoping that means she will be able to use it next summer as well. I think it's adorable and I'm actually contemplating letting her wear it as a dress sometimes as well! Anyway, here are some pictures.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Mother's Day
I am so very grateful to be a mother! I'm also grateful that we have a day to celebrate mothers and reflect on their invaluable influence on our life. Even though I only have one, beloved biological mom I have been blessed in my life to be mothered by many. I have so many amazing women in my life who have and continue to encourage me through their words, and more importantly their actions. I never imagined that I would enjoy, so thoroughly, being a mother or that I would find it to be so rewarding. More so than any career I could have pursued. The hugs and kisses I receive daily are worth more than any monetary amount I could ever receive. And no matter how frustrated I get because I cook something and she won't eat, and then I cook something else and she won't eat that either (you can see the pattern here) I marvel at her each night I get to put her to bed, and as I sneak in her room and watch her sleep that is when I realized how truly blessed that I am to have her AND to have the ability to be with her during the day and see her face light up each time she discovers something new or says a new word or sings a new song. I have the most PERFECT job in the world, I'm a mommy!!!
This Mother's Day was spend in Canada and it was a nice, relaxing mini vacation for me. All I really did was knit and relax. As for gifts I got an iPod dock alarm clock which was expected (I picked it out myself, haha) and a few pairs of earrings which were very unexpected (I LOVE my husband)! My mom recently purchased a gym membership so we gave her some workout clothes and a nifty water bottle so that she can remain hydrated. And for my mother-in-law, well she got what she requested. About 3 weeks ago she asked me if I could knit her "one of those short jackets that everyone wears these days" (those were her words). She was referring to a bolero or shrug as they are more popularly called, but I, being a novice knitter, told her that I couldn't do it because I had never knitted an actual garment before. But I must admit that I do love a challenge so I started looking at patterns and decided that I would make it after all. I am also in the process of knitting her a second one which will be her birthday present. I was slightly stressed about finishing it on time because the only time I have to knit is after we put Y to bed, so I spent many late nights knitting and I still wasn't able to finish it until 11:35pm, 25 minutes before Mother's Day ended! But alas it was done and I am really amazed by it, I still look at the pictures and am in awe of what I did and how fast I did it. I mentioned that it took me about 2½ weeks (give or take) to knit it but that was only working on it for 3-4 hours each night and some nights I didn't work on it at all. I estimate that it took me around 49-50 hours to complete which is pretty amazing considering the lace pattern on the sleeves and the stupid rib border. But anyway, here are the pictures!
This Mother's Day was spend in Canada and it was a nice, relaxing mini vacation for me. All I really did was knit and relax. As for gifts I got an iPod dock alarm clock which was expected (I picked it out myself, haha) and a few pairs of earrings which were very unexpected (I LOVE my husband)! My mom recently purchased a gym membership so we gave her some workout clothes and a nifty water bottle so that she can remain hydrated. And for my mother-in-law, well she got what she requested. About 3 weeks ago she asked me if I could knit her "one of those short jackets that everyone wears these days" (those were her words). She was referring to a bolero or shrug as they are more popularly called, but I, being a novice knitter, told her that I couldn't do it because I had never knitted an actual garment before. But I must admit that I do love a challenge so I started looking at patterns and decided that I would make it after all. I am also in the process of knitting her a second one which will be her birthday present. I was slightly stressed about finishing it on time because the only time I have to knit is after we put Y to bed, so I spent many late nights knitting and I still wasn't able to finish it until 11:35pm, 25 minutes before Mother's Day ended! But alas it was done and I am really amazed by it, I still look at the pictures and am in awe of what I did and how fast I did it. I mentioned that it took me about 2½ weeks (give or take) to knit it but that was only working on it for 3-4 hours each night and some nights I didn't work on it at all. I estimate that it took me around 49-50 hours to complete which is pretty amazing considering the lace pattern on the sleeves and the stupid rib border. But anyway, here are the pictures!
On Monday we went and had lunch with one of B's really good friends that he grew up with who has returned to live in the area. Once we returned I put Y down for a nap and left to go out with Q (B's mom) to pick out a corsage for B's brother's prom date on Saturday. We took the long route home, making a few stops on the way and while we were in one store we found some sidewalk chalk. The previous day when Q had taken Y out for a walk Y walked up to a little girl who was playing with sidewalk chalk, picked up 2 pieces and began to walk away as if they belonged to her. And so, the idea of buying Y some sidewalk chalk was born. Here are some pictures of us having fun on the ground. You can see my portrait of their cat (of which I am not a fan) and Q's portrait of herself an P (B's dad). You can also see that Y did more drawing on her own face than she did on the ground...Enjoy!
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