Happy 4 Month Birthday Calais!

“A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for”

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

4 months...122 days...2,921 hours...175,316 minutes

Can you believe it?

You can lift your head.
You smile first thing in the mornings.
You love laughing at the mirror.
You love your giraffe.
You grab things.
You camped like an old pro.
You try to put everything in your mouth.
You roll over from your tummy to your back.
When we leave you alone in your crib you like to talk to yourself.
You and CB already have an amazing bond.
You want to play with Mud but she's not so sure yet.
You have more facial expressions than mommy.
Your hair is always getting compliments from strangers.
Your first swimming experience was a success.
You learned how to pull the velcro on your diaper cover.

This is only the beginning of so many more memories. I love you Baby Girl.

Unclutter Challenge

Over at unclutterer.com they have the Thing A Day Challenge.

To sum it up, the challenge is basically de-clutter your life! Get rid of 1 thing a day for however long you feel fit.

So starting Aug. 1 I'm going to get rid of 1 thing of mine in the house a day. I'm not sure if I will grab something once a day, I'll probably grab 7 items on Sunday and put it in a box. Then at the end of the month drop it off at GoodWill.

Does anyone feel like joining me in this challenge? You don't have to list what you've gotten rid of if you don't want to!

I doubt I will be getting rid of any big items (t.v., bed, etc.) I see small items, a book here, some craft supplies, shoes.

I think this should also help me not feel like everything is in dis-array with the baby. Happier mom equals happier Calais :)

Here's to a happier, less crap filled August!

I want these :)

So you know when you are making something with your hot glue gun and you inevitably brush it against your finger, thigh, leg, foot, hand (yes I've done all of these!)?

Well I just came across these! Hot Glue Gun Helpers

Yup, I want them...nope I need them!

How much easier will crafting be now? I may have to get a set before making Christmas gifts!

Blog Hop Wednesday! Going Green

It's Blog Hop time again :)

Click on the button above and it will take you to the site. Here you can visit other sites where people are going GREEN! I could sit on my couch all day and visit everyone site and gobble up all the bits about how I can go green a little more in my life. (But I think the dogs and Calais wouldn't be too happy with me!)

Make sure you follow the three blogs that are listed first!

Enjoy

Wordless Wednesday

St. Johns Bridge
Portland, Or
2010

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The 3 C's: Camping + Class + Calais

View from the top of the Astoria Column

Can you believe I've been teaching for 3 years in Portland (for a total of 6 years!) I'm surprised I lasted this long at my current location! I'll save a blog post on my current school for another time...Since I've just finished my third year teaching, Portland Public Schools require any 3rd year teacher to take a graduate level class in order to keep your teaching license. Then after that, all you have to use are our PLU's (my credits for going to workshops, etc.)Since having Calais, I knew I couldn't actually go INTO class...so I opted for an online class. A coworker told me about the Heritage Institute. It's partnered with Antioch University in Seattle. After browsing all the classes I ended up choosing a course called Northern Oregon Coast History: A self guided tour. Basically the class itself is comprised of 1) Reading a book and writing a 5 page review. 2) Going to the coast (Astoria, Seaside, Hug Point and Tillamook) and visiting multiple sites and taking multiple pictures 3) Writing many lesson plans, questions, writing prompts, papers. So far I've completed 3 pages of my book (It's pretty boring!) I haven't done any of number three. I think having a baby has caused me to put all this on the back burner! So this past week, Joe, Calais and I set out for the coast and visited many sites, museums and markers.Family Portrait in front of The Pacific OceanHanging with DadHanging by the Fire at the CampgroundWith Dad at the BeachWoke up with a smile on her face!Amazing SceneryOn the highway driving down the coastOne of the assignments was to take a picture at the 39 signs...I acted out almost all of them!We are now putting everything in our mouths!

We ended up camping both nights we were out there. The dogs were left with my friend Sarah, so we were able to give full attention to Baby Girls FIRST camping excursion. I'm glad we are starting her so early. Joe had never camped until our Great Cross Country Road Trip at the age of 27.

The first night we stayed at Fort Stevens our first night and Cape Lookout our second night. Calais did amazing both nights! We put her down around 7:30 both nights. Her first night she slept until 7 the next morning. Her second night she woke up around 4, but went back to sleep again until 7 after a quick snack. We really are lucky that she inherited her fathers sleeping genes and not mine!Calais REALLY enjoyed the Tillamook Cheese FactoryAnother acting on my part!Grabbed this bucket for 50 cents, sadly no ice cream in it.

The scenery was absolutely amazing and it was great seeing so many historic sites! (I have even come up with product that I would like to patent and produce, but more on that...if we ever actually get around to finding what it takes to make this product!)At Fort ClatsopBaby Girls new trick...taking her Nuk Nuk out and trying to put it back in!

Update to NY TImes List

Here is the updated version of my NY Times List from 2009...I think I've done VERY well so far :) I may just actually finish this years list!

Again, the BOLDED ones I have finished...


Jan 4: The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck
Jan 11: Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell
Jan 18: Black Ops by WEB Griffin
Jan 25: Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
Feb 15: The Associate by John Grisham
Mar 15: Promises in Death by JD Robb
Mar 22: Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult
Apr 12: True Detectives by Jonathan Kellerman
Apr 19: Long Lost by Harlan Coben
Apr 26: Turncoat by Jim Butcher
May 3: Just Take my Heart by Mary Higgins Clark
May 10: First Family by David Baldacci
May 17: 8th Confession by James Patterson
May 24: Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
May 31: Wicked Prey by John Sandford
June 7: Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child
June 14: The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly
June 21: Skin Trade by Laurell K Hamilton
June 28: Relentelss by Dean Koontz
July 5: Knockout by Chaterine Coulter
July 12: Finger Lickin Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
July 19: Swimsuit by James Patterson
July 26: Black Hills by Nora Roberts
Aug 2: Best Friend Forever by Jennifer Weiner
Aug 9: The Defector by Daniel Silva
Aug 16: The Girl who played with fire by Steig Larsson
Aug 23: Bad Moon Rising by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Aug 30: South of Broad by Pat Conroy
Sept 13: Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson
Sept 20: Dark Slayer by Christine Freehan
Sept 27: The Last Song by Robert Jordan
Oct 4: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Nov 15: The Gathering Storm by Nicholas Sparks
Nov 22: Ford Country by John Grishom
Nov 29: Under the Dome by Stephen King
Dec 6: I, Alex Cross by James Patterson
Dec 20: U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton

Wordless Wednesday

Styling in the Car

June 2010

Green Blog Hop

Green Blog Hop!

So in the theme of my Green Blog post about a week ago I'm joining this Green Blog Hop!

I'm hoping to visit other sites and get some ideas on how we can live "greener" And maybe people will visit my site and leave easy suggestions on how we can actually do that!

What have you done to live green today?

Calais and I walked to the store and used a reusable grocery bag!

Pool Adventures!

First Time at the Pool...July 18, 2010

Ever since we found out we were pregnant we knew that she would be put in the water. How could she not, with two parents who both swam competitively in college. In everything that we have read, it said that you shouldn't start swim lessons until 6 months (or when they start crawling). But most boards said it doesn't hurt to get your little one adjusted to the water early.Eating the Float

So that's exactly what we did!

We were waiting for a cloudy day, just since we can't put sunscreen on her until she is 6 months as well. We bought a sweet float at Toys R Us.

Floating with her Daddy

Since we are also using cloth diapers we also knew we didn't want to get the packaged lil' swimmers. So we checked out our diaper store and found a "cloth waterproof" swim suit that is absolutely adorable!
Loving the Water

I have to say, her first experience was an absolute SUCCESS! I was much more worried than she was and I didn't even need to be!
She seemed to like the water and even tried to eat her float for a little bit (she has already started putting everything in her mouth, and if you stick your finger in there it will def. get mashed!)

Joe dunked her under once and she was definitely startled but was able to easily be reassured and calmed back down easily!
And she is a Natural!

GIveaway

Want to win an adorable necklace or bracelet?

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New Friend Friday

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Wordless Wednesday ( I know, a day late...)

Mt. Tabor
July 2010
The Fam

Going Green

Yes, everyone has been trying to "go green" over the last few years.

I like to think I've been attempting to do it my whole life :) I loved the show Salute Your Shorts and imagined myself as a Z.Z. character. (love her earth earrings!) I believe I even help start a recycling club in elementary school (right mom?) Which is funny b/c Joe was kicked out of a club in H.S. for not helping out the recycling club!

I even was a member of Keep Savannah Beautiful, a city council group while living in Savannah. Named the Secretary right before we moved.

Living in Portland has taken living green to another level!

One of the biggest changes that we've made while living her is NO paper towels, napkins etc. We use only rags. I have to admit it was hard at first. But we have been doing it for three years now. I don't even notice that we don't have paper towels. (unless we have guests and they go looking for them!) We have a whole cabinet devoted to these rags (some are nice, some aren't). We use them for everything....food, counters, spills, even when the dogs get sick! When we finish using them they go in a can in the laundry room. When the can is full, they get washed.

Another thing we do that I'm proud of is cloth diapers. It's such a great feeling knowing we aren't throwing away diapers. It's not as hard as I thought it would be. Once you get into the routine of washing them it's not so bad! We don't use any name brand. We actually buy them at our local baby store Zoom Baby Gear. It's a teeny store, locally owned and besides getting things brand new, they also have used cloth diapers. Calais's first diapers were all new, but for her next size up, we got all used. (I have to say, the previous owner did a MUCH better job of rinsing the diapers before washing them!) I'm happy to say that we use cloth and that we are saving our local landfill from disposable ones. (I should also mention that we love calling them NAPPIES :) ).

Here a few other things I would like to try in our quest to GO GREEN...

make our own babyfood
grow more of our own veggies in the garden (which means we need to come up with a way for Muddy to stop thinking it is her outdoor bed!)
bike more (getting something for little Calais to ride in, we used to have a Quick and Easy but it didn't fit our new bikes!)
volunteer a few times with the St. John Association to help keep the neighborhood clean.

Any thing you think we should add?

Wordless Wednesday

May 1, 2008
Sauvie Island

Berry Picking 4th of July

On the 4th this year, we decided to hit up Sauvie Island and try our hand at picking some berries! (Now if anyone knows my husband, you know he DOESN'T eat berries, so I was stoked that he decided to come along.) Mo, Joe's sister that lives in Arlington, VA came out to visit with her son, Tucker (10 months). Katy, Joe's other sister who lives in Eugene also came up for the long weekend. Here are a few pics from our Berry Picking Sunday. On the way to Sauvie IslandCalais super excited to fill all these containers!Fruits of our laborAfter a little lunchFamily portrait, sorry pups you were at home!Hanging out at home afterwardsShrum kids (minus Jake)
Can you tell Calais is ecstatic to take a picture :)

Clutch Giveway

http://armcandyforyou.blogspot.com/2010/07/brocade-silk-clutch-giveaway.html