Good As New: Container Garden

In honor of Earth Day, I thought I'd round up a few of my favorite upcycled container garden ideas. The snow has almost melted away from the other day, now we're just waiting on some warmer, sandals and sunhats, move my seedlings outside, spend the day at the park type of weather.

Remember

Take care of it.

Happy Earth Day!

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And the award goes to.... ?

Last week, I was asked what children book awards I'm currently aware of. Excited by the question immediately blurted out, "The Caldecott Medal, The Newbery Awards, and...well... um.....that's it." Embarrassing. I worked in a children's book department for almost two years and that's all I've got? It was some time ago, but even so my answer bugged me.

For my own information and redemption, I did a little research and put together a list of popular children and teen book awards supported by the American Library Association. Click the seal or the link below each award you'll be directed to a current list the winners and honorees.

House & Home

Sorry for the lull around here. The last few days have been busy ones with all the traveling and the after-travel settling that takes place after being gone for almost a week.  Needless to say, the baby traveled *extremely* well and slept like a champ the entire trip. This was improvement by leaps and bounds compared to when we were in Texas.

Finding a place to live in Kansas made the move very real.  And I love our new house. It's a little over one hundred years old with the quirks of an older home, but all the charm. It's the perfect for the three of us. Will also had his new student orientation at the college. Afterward, he told me, "Honey, I'm so excited about this. Not just because of school, but because of our life here. It feels so right."

I'm excited too.

Good Morning, Good Morning

Took this photo before our trip to Kansas this week. Glow worm was up at the crack of dawn.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Friday!

Teenage Seedlings

Due to a mischievous cat and freakishly large cucumbers, I did a little transplanting of my seedlings over the weekend. Zydeco has been caught nibbling on my garlic chives and stepping on my zinnias and cucs, some have survived some have seen their demise. To save my now teenage seedlings from their nemesis, I moved them into larger containers....

A few noteables...

Ever since my husband decided on Kansas for where he wants to go back to school, the whirlwind of preparations commenced. While we are busy making plans, life continues on. A few notable details over the past few days....

We found a place to live in Kansas. I cannot tell you how much of a relief this is.

LBD is standing all by herself. She'll be walking any day now.

The cat got into my plants. Again. I'll be lucky if they make it another week. He obviously doesn't take any of my threats seriously.

Yesterday, I took the baby for a walk. We didn't wear coats. First time all year. Spring is here. Today, I had to put a coat on. That's just how it goes.

I've been getting prepared for our trip this week to Kansas. We'll be there making arrangements for our move while there visiting a few familiar faces in the interim.

Feeling a little overwhelmed, but also full of energy.

Lots of new.

Lots to do.

Reading Together: Snuggle Puppy

Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton is easily LBD's favorite book. It's a quick, little broad book complete with singing and kissing. Reading, singing, and kissing? They're our favorites.

It starts:

Well, I have a thing to tell you,
and it won't take long:
The way I feel about you
is a kind of a song.
It starts with an OOO,
and ends with a kiss,
and all along the middle,
it goes something like this---

And so the Snuggle Puppy song begins.




Well, the way I feel about LBD is kinda like a song. Lots of songs. So many songs!

Songs we sing to. Songs we dance to. Songs we laugh to.

The go something like this---

Baby Hangover

LBD didn't sleep the entire week we were in Texas.
She didn't sleep the week after we returned either. It was the worst she has ever slept in her entire nine months of existence.

Then I got sick. And then the baby got sick. And then the husband. We were a cooped up bunch of overtired sickes.

She's back to sleeping full nights now. (REJOICE!)

In light of the situation, I thought I'd put together a guide for myself of "How to Stay Alive After An All-Nighter: Baby Edition". After a week of no sleep with a sick and teething babe child, life gets pretty interesting. And it's nothing like those one-too-many late nights during the pre-baby days. Recovery was cake compared to this.

Remedy for a Baby Hangover

1. Sleep whenever you have the chance during the day. DON'T do the laundry. DON'T answer the phone. DON'T catch up on missed Castle episodes. DON'T do whatever it is you think you have to do. (I'm still learning how to do this step.)

2. One cup of coffee max or none at all. I usually make myself a weak cup of coffee in the morning, but when I was sick I didn't have any and I felt so much better for it. The experts were right about this one. Imagine that? Weird.

3. Jellybeans. Jeallybeans makes everything better.

4. Fix your face. Take a shower. No matter how tired or grumpy or worn out I am, I take a shower. I even (gasp) blow-dry my hair and maybe even a apply a little mascara. I swear it's like hitting the "refresh" button, even if it's a temporary facade of being well-rested.

5. Laugh. One of the best parts of being overtired are the bizarre giggling fits when everything is funny because you can't even construct complete sentences. Because you put your cell phone in the freezer. Or when showering you shampoo your hair three times because you didn't remember the first two.

6. Remember it will all be over soon. Baby will go back to sleeping eventually and you in turn will sleep again.

Promise.

New Game

These pictures don't do what's going on here much justice.

LBD is pressing her face into the pack n' play to make funny faces. After every face she made a face, she would push away from the meshing let out a belly laugh. We did this all day yesterday.

Enjoy!

Good As New: Surfboard

THE CARDBOARD from Scott Mac Donough on Vimeo.

Coming across a new innovator to me is kinda like finding five dollars in a pair of old jeans. I love to see people doing new and beautiful things.

I don't own a surfboard. Nor do I know how to surf. Since we're moving to Kansas, surfing as a hobby is kinda out of the question. For now at least. But even so, after watching this clip it made me think... what can I create today?

What can I do that will make all the difference?

Ad Astra Per Aspera

"Ad Astra Per Aspera"... "Through Hardships To The Stars".... "To The Stars Through Difficulty"... the Kansas motto.

After much debate and deliberation, a decision has been made, Will has accepted admission to the University of Kansas for Fall 2011.

We're moving to Kansas!

When? We don't know. However, we do have to be out of the house we currently rent by May 15th. Which means the ball is rolling. FAST.  In the upcoming weeks, we have to find a new place to live, pack up, move out of our house, move into our new place of residence, and possibly couch (and crib) hop for the weeks in between.

Needless to say, I'm so very proud of my husband. Going back to school at 28 to become a Secondary Math Educator isn't the easiest path to take, especially with a young family, but in his heart (and in mine) it's where he needs to be. Who said it's easy to get to where you want to be?

Ad Astra Per Aspera.

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