To think...

this time last year... I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of the bug - bored out of my gourd.Summer is proving to be much more fun with a little buddy to take everywhere. 

This week we went to the new Hill Country Galleria to try find a swimsuit to accommodate my newly acquired 'mom' status and body changes.  I have some specific criteria, including: full coverage, ruching, supportive top, and some sort of skirt... but still something a 25 year old could wear.  I'm beginning to think that this doesn't exist.  Well, actually it might ... but my budget is more limiting than my criteria!

Anyway... we didn't find a swimsuit, but we walked around for an hour.  Lily had the best time in Barnes and Noble crawling around the kids section and pushing the stroller, while I sat and read board books... TO MYSELF!  I remembered I still had a B&N giftcard from David on my birthday.  It was so nice to pick out a couple of cute books for Lily and know that Jeff wasn't at home tracking me on wellsfargo.com.  Having giftcards in my wallet brings me unspeakable joy!

Yesterday, we went with Suzanne and Luke to their neighborhood pool-- trying to enjoy it one last time before all of the little 'community pool hellions' get out of school for summer break.  Lily likes the water... but mostly wanted to crawl out and climb the steps.  She would go under the mushroom waterfall but rarely opened her eyes.  Luke was busy going places... including the snack bag for Lily's cheese puffs.  Don't worry... she made it even my diving into his 'snack trap' when he went back in the water.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lily had her first experience with a lime today.

Here is how it went:

 

I FINALLY updated our project 365... and here are my 2 latest pages:

I've got birthday on the brain...

after Jeff's parent's were here and we went to get some things for them to carry back to Minnesota with them... so we don't have to try to bring them on the plane. I can't imagine a butterfly pinata lasting to0 long with the harsh airline treatment of checked luggage.

With only like 5 weeks left, I've been using every spare moment to finish 1 year scrapbook pages, find things for our lilyBUG theme, design her invitations, etc. All who attend better be ready to wear some homemade antennae!

I think with the amount of hobbies I have... I really need one of those mythical 4 hour nap babies. Not much can be done in 2 30 minute increments.

Anyway, here are some cute photos that Jeff took trying to capture just ONE for her invitations.

Here she is imitating my smile complete with squinty eyes! I wonder if in time she'll imitate my voice sounding like George W. Bush or Joel Osteen like her dad does?

Oh boy... let's just say I've got it coming.

It has been Craft City, USA...

around here lately.  Jeff was nice and gave me some time to work on all of my half-finished projects.  I'm really milking this whole 'mother's day' thing!

 

Like this chipboard mini album for Jeff's mom...

(I'm only posting it here because I know she's been in the car on the way here since 4 this morning.)

 

With VanillaBean orders, my own take on the MLB logo for my nephew, Josiah (as I JUST received an email that his Christmas gift order from the MLB website, which was backordered, is now canceled) , a baby shower gift for the McAnnellys, etc. I feel like I've finally got a handle on this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learn how (and why) I made this gift 'can' for my mom at www.vanillabeandesigns.com.

 

 

 

 

 

I even cleaned out my craft closet because it was taking me the length of Lily's nap just to find everything I needed and get it all out.  Then she'd wake up and I'd have to shove it all back in before she got to it.  She has a strange affinity for tearing and eating paper!

   Before and After

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I even tackled my overflowing, messy ribbon box with a trick I learned in this month's REAL SIMPLE to keep spools of ribbon on wire hangers.

This kid is definitely an Olson...

I realized watching her play with her kitchen.  She stopped, got a wipe out of the container, and proceeding to clean out the sink!  That doesn't seem like typical 10 month old play to me... she's got to have inherited some serious 'CLEAN GENES'!

 

She actually makes enough messes for me to know she has plenty of ME in her, too!

This blog has been very neglected...

 

with my attentions focused on www.vanillabeandesigns.com.  I seriously feel like I've finally got a handle on the mountain of stuff I needed to make.  You should definitely check that website often.  Laura and I are still blogging 3 times a week with 'crafty' stuff... and we just put some super cute magnet sets in the 'bean boutique'.

The Bug has been up to no good... as usual.  I've even had to start trying some modified time outs.  Whenever we say 'NO NO' to something... she thinks it's hilarious to go right back... look over her shoulder and giggle.  Pulling out plugs, pushing the cable box and stereo, turning over lamps, pulling over the trashcan going for a piece of cake (obviously taking after her mother) etc...

 

We've put her in her little pool a couple of times.  She's really more interested in leaning over the side to pull the grass.

But here's the product of that:

 

I secretly kind of like that she's mischievous... at least for now.  It's pretty cute and amazing that they come 'wired from the factory' like that. (to use one of my dad's favorite terms) It's incredible that their little personalities are in them from day one and they just reveal them to us a little more each day!