Someone Lost a Job...

... and their name would be Scrubbin' Bubbles! Sorry for the slight cardio I may have given all four of you faithful readers. I figure since I haven't posted lately, the title had to be dramatic.

Our bathtub generally didn’t get much use until Kinley came along. The occasional Tobie bath and rare uses by visitors (not that our visitors don’t shower, it’s just that we don’t have too many overnight visitors) warranted for a bi-yearly cleaning. Did we really only clean the tub twice a year? I don’t know but it sure isn’t something I stress about when cleaning for bunco or small gatherings.

Anywho, the tub was pretty gross from Kinley’s bath time. Hubby commented how we needed to give it a good scrubbing. So naturally, I retreated to pinterest to find the DIY bathtub cleaner recipe. I had seen it before but hadn’t paid a whole lot of attention to it since I didn’t feel the tub was that terrible. Many ‘pinners’ swore by it and it was simple to make. I actually had the ingredients at home.

½ cup dish soap (the recipe said blue Dawn but I used orange Ajax and it worked)

½ cup vinegar

T

he recipe said put it in a spray bottle, spray it on, let it set and then wipe it down. I didn’t use a spray bottle. Just a bowl and sponge. I also didn’t let it set; I just gave it a little scrub and rinsed it off.

As I said earlier, Scrubbin’ Bubbles lost a job at our house! Fair warning, it doesn’t smell good but it works well! So well, that I blogged about it! (1-because it really worked and 2-because who really wants to see a picture of my dirty bathtub? No one.)

On the Move

Last night while skyping with Nandy and Pa, Kinley gave us a good show! 

I think she liked having an audience who was cheering loudly for her! So glad they got to see her first little solo walking experience.

This isn't from when she actually did it but, of course, we made her do it again and again. She won't stand up and take off on her own but I'm okay with that! 

One step at a time! literally.

Really?!

Yes, we really had this mailed to us by someone in our neighborhood. Address typed with a typewriter on the envelope and nothing else.

I have a lot to say about this....

1- REALLY?!?!

2- if you are brave enough to write the letter, sign it. Wuss. Or you are afraid of how one might comment on the appearance of your yard?

3- how many letters did you write and use your typewriter to address it? Did you write a letter to the houses that desperately need repainted? Or the one with 4 cars in the driveway, 2 in the street (blocking the fire hydrant and my driveway) and none in their garage? Or the one with more weeds than grass? Or the one that has dead limbs hanging from the tree for a long time now? Or the folks that don't bother edging and let weeds grow into the street? Or the people that let their dog out in their front yard to use the bathroom? Or the people that let their cat out to torment my dog... In my own backyard!? Or the people that have overgrown bushes at their mailbox, which are flowing out into the street? Or the ones that park their truck in their yard?

Some day when you come home to "the ghetto" you can thank us (and my girlfriends for brainstorming the ideas) for putting our truck on cinder blocks, not mowing the yard (we should probably put the mower up on blocks too since we won't be using it), walking the hood with a dirty, naked baby on my hip, cigarettes stuffed in my bra straps and pockets hanging out of the bottom of my cutoff jean shorts along with my butt cheeks. And lady neighbors, don't worry my baby daddy will be with me to keep your men away. For your viewing pleasure, he will have on a wife beater, cutoff shorts (hanging half way down his butt), some chew in his lip, his gold and diamond grill, and of course, his mullet. I've also considered new decorations for my flowerbed... beer cans, milk jugs, and a sign!

 "Welcome to the ghetto... and the nicest yard in the neighborhood!"

It seems you have time on your hands so you can also watch to see that we do in fact know how to use a push broom... how do you think the small amount of clippings from edging get into the street, jackass? No Internet tutorial needed. 

How about you "help create a more favorable impression" to the folks that live in your ghetto and talk to a neighbor instead of sending a cowardly letter in the mail. 

Thanks for your input.

PS- I'll have you know that my baby daddy takes a lot of pride in keeping his yard mowed, edged, weed free, and alive to a very bright shade of green, unlike many others in the ghetto. So if you really find that our yard work doesn't seem to meet your standards, you obviously know where I live, so come do it yourself. 

(As I type this, said baby daddy is mowing a yard that we technically do not own, just because he wants to have a nice yard when we do move in.)

She had a good run!

1 day shy of 11 months, this cow was put to pasture. It was a bittersweet feeling to put that pump away. It was my BFF for 11 months. It went everywhere with me. {Heck, I should've named it but never thought about it until right now...maybe next time.}

I definitely think it was a very successful 11 months. Rewarding too. Not only did I nourish my baby, I was able to donate for other babies through the milk bank in North Texas. I was even blessed enough to help a baby I know.

I have said that I don't know that I've ever truly been called by God to do something. I mean, I still don't know, it's not like the phone rang and I answered to the big man upstairs. But the feeling to help was heavy on my heart. It was the first thing that came to mind when I heard about my friend's situation. It was the last thing on my mind before I fell asleep and the first thing there when I woke up.

It seemed like my supply had started to dwindle but I just kept going knowing that a little guy was going to benefit from it. When families in the NICU need breast milk that is where the donated milk and milk bank comes in... Did you know it can cost $7 an ounce?! And insurance isn't known to cover it. I dropped some milk off the night before he was born so he would be set to go. 

Due to my supply dropping, I wasn't able to donate to him as long as I would have liked but I still had my baby girl to feed. My heart was happy to help though,even it was for a short time.

Here's a little picture from when I visited Mr. C in the hospital.

Since my donating days, Oklahoma has now opened a milk bank in Oklahoma City. I hope that next time around I can send them some milk! 

STEM- challenge 3

Our last challenge of the year was the hardest…. for my kids and for my assistant. J To her credit, she had never been in my classroom when we were working on our other projects, she wasn't in the room when I explained it, and she didn't know what I expected of the kids.

The project? Paper rockets.

Materials?paper, tape, a ruler, and glue. 

Requirements of the rocket? 8 inches tall and stand up on its own

Of course, the first things that came out of their mouths…. “how do I do it?” “I can’t do it!” “I don’t know how!” But just like all of the other projects, they all slowly headed in the direction of a rocket that met Mrs. Snow’s requirements.

This story is about little J. He is almost too smart for his own good and doesn't like to do things the wrong way. He struggled a lot so Mrs. F sat down with him to work on it. He got frustrated that others at his table were taking up too much space so started to pull him over to the side to help him. Before they got settled in, I told her I wanted to see what he could figure out on his own. She struggled just as much letting him get frustrated as he did being frustrated.

She said, “Can’t I just…” and I said, “just watch him. He will figure it out.” You could tell she was just itching to go over and say, “Measure your paper, cut it, roll it up and tape it.” I will say, it is really hard watching them struggle and not just help them along. BUT, I am also learning to let them learn.

As he worked, he was getting it. Mrs. F was able to help him without giving his the answers. She helped him visualize what a rocket looked like and then he figured out how to make the body of his rocket. Then the tricky part was to make it stand up.

They both went to ‘itching’ again… him itching for the solution and her itching to give it to him. He kept saying, "It just leans this way." and then he would try to push it in the other direction. Mrs. F talked to him about why it was leaning, what it needed to it wouldn't lean. After their talk, he realized it needed "a kickstand". So he went to work making kickstands to go around the bottom. Before long, he had a rocket that met the requirements!

So that wraps up my experience with STEM for the school year. Now I just have to make it through a whole year doing it all over again!

12 months = 1 year

Time has really flown by! (excuse the lack of a 12 month sticker picture, I forgot to take one on the ipad.)

One year checkup was on Thursday, July 11.

You weighed in at 17 pounds, which put you in the third percentile. (You also got to weigh on the big kid scale since you can stand up.)

You measured at 28.5 inches tall, which they said puts you in the 99th percentile. I did a chart on the Internet that put you in the 25th percentile, which makes more sense to me since you were last in the 6th percentile.

Your head measured at 18 inches so your brain is still growing!

Clothing wise... You wear anything from six months to 12 months, size 2 shoe, and size 2 diapers. If we had known we would be in size two diapers this long, we would not have bought size 3 and 4 when we were stocking up before you were born! I guess you will eventually grow into them so we'll hang onto them.

Sleeping habits... You are still a good nighttime sleeper. You have started waking up in the middle of the night crying. I say it is because you miss us but your Dad isn't sold on that. By saying you have started, I mean you have done it a handful of times in the last two weeks. We have been practicing having an afternoon nap since you will have a nap time when you go to Jade's in the fall. Your nap ranges from one hour to two hours. Generally, you will take a short rest in the morning too.

Eating... What won't you eat? I don't know. We haven't found anything that you won't eat. You have started to share with Tobie and she loves it! You also like to tease her. You will dangle your hand over the edge and just let her sniff or lick your hand. Sometimes, you have food in that hand and Tobie tries her hardest to lick it out of there. She is always at your side when it is eating time!

Right after I took this picture, you looked at me and smiled like you were so proud of yourself for sharing with Tobie.

Talking... You have a lot to say, all the time. Your Dad even commented that "you already talk with attitude and I have no idea what you are saying." Mama and Dada are in your vocabulary when you choose to say them. Sometimes when you talk, it sounds like you are saying things, like 'what is that?', 'where is dad?', and even 'dang it!' You know four signs...  more, milk, please, and dog. Except you don't on know dog means dog. I taught you that is "come here, Tobie." So many times when you see here, you start patting your little leg.

Playing... Over the last month, we really started to notice you playing independently. You still like to for us to play on the floor with you but you don't freak out if no one is down there. You love to open and close things. You will use anything to pull up on. You will walk behind anything that moves. After getting stood up, you can stand for at least 15 seconds before you realize no one is holding your hand and plop yourself back down. You haven't gotten brave enough to try it on your own or to take a step without holding on. You have discovered that you can dump over your little baskets of toys so we pick those up a couple times a day. You also found Tobie's toy basket. It was like a whole new game to toss her animals out of the basket!

Tobie... You still love to torment her. You will follow her all over until she goes into hiding. You are still determined that her food is your food. When we tell you no, you keep trying to get her food or splash in her bowl. Strong-willed, you are. I wonder where you get that?! Be gentle is still a daily phrase.

We celebrated your birthday on July 13. Lots of family and friends came over for a hot dog cookout. It is so warming to know that you are so loved by the people in your life. The 'theme' was " One is Snow much Fun!" We decorated in pink and green. We stayed up late Friday night making strawberry cupcakes and frosting them with hot pink frosting. They were so pretty! You had a giant cupcake as your 'smash cake'. You didn't go too crazy with it but still managed to get hot pink frosting from your head to your legs.

You are very blessed to have so many friends and family come celebrate sweet little you! You got lots of books to add to the small collection you had, puzzles, toys, balls and a shopping cart that you love to empty. Putting your groceries back into the cart is a work in progress. In the days since your party, you love to 'read' your cards. You take them out of the bucket at least once, probably more like three or four, times a day.

Now I need to work on putting all the treasures I kept from your first year into your baby book before you turn two! I am a year behind so I don't need another one to creep up on me! Slow down your growing, baby girl!

One Year

Today my baby girl turns one.... She went to bed a baby and will wake up a one year old.

To my sweet little Snowflake,

Everyone says it so I might as well join the crowd... "I can't believe it has been one year" since we welcomed your sweet face into this world. Everyone also says, "It seems like yesterday!" and it truly does. For a year now, on the 17th of every month your Dad and I say, "we were doing __(insert any thing from the day)__ x months ago." Then on the 18th of every month, we make sure to recognize your "birthday". Looking back at each monthly picture brings back such sweet memories of you growing and changing. 

You are so blessed to have so many people in your life that truly love you. Your number one fan is your Daddy. He loves him some Tobie but you were able to squeeze your way into his heart (and right passed Tobie) the second he saw you. It really is precious the way he loves you. I pray that love only grows bigger and deeper as you grow up. When asked what he loves about being a dad, he said, "just hanging with Kinbin." I think he could hang with you forever and you with him. He's a pretty good first love for you.

It is so crazy to think that one year ago I hadn't seen your adorable face in person or held your precious little self and now every day I am blessed to kiss your sweet cheeks. You make being a mommy pure joy. Although I wish I could bottle you up and keep you so little,  I am eager to see the person you grow into, to see you blossom into yourself {but take your time}. 

Now that I've known you for a year, I have more hopes for you [not that I didn't have them before, I just didn't think to publish them]: I hope your life is full of love and kindness. I hope you learn good patience. I hope you learn to stand up for what you think is right and fair. I hope you learn to stand up for yourself even when it is hard. I hope you find happiness wherever you go. If you don't find happiness there, I hope you create it, for yourself and others. I hope you love yourself. I hope you always know how much I love you and know that every day I love you a little more.

You are all because two people fell in love.

I'll always be here,

Love,

Mom