So much time...

For those of you that don't know 2 big changes happened a few weeks back.

(1) Corinne started preschool 4 days a week for 3 hours a day, and is loving it and doing great
(2) I was laid off from my job

Both events have resulted in my having much more time to myself than I am accustomed. It has been interesting so far.


My house is cleaner than it has ever been. I have even cleaned out the cupboards and under the stairs.

We have found time to try projects we have been meaning to for months. For this project we laid out the letters in masking tape and then finger painted over it.

We have been making banana cream pies, lasagna, fajitas, and so much more. I have actually been making and sticking to our menus for multiple weeks.

I am thinking I may start blogging on some of our projects, cooking, and crafting adventures, but I make no promises. That is all for now :)

All Things Birthday - Year 33

Lunch with Corinne, Kevin, mom and dad at the Stage Deli, yum

Followed by "Stupid, Crazy Love" (I LOVED it) and dinner at the hibachi place for Kevin and I


Kevin and I took my birthday off and took Corinne to the zoo. Her favorites are the meerkats and the train.


Presents from Kevin and Corinne


First night in her twin big girl bed. My baby is getting so big.


Picnic in the park with Kristin, Jeff, Jessica, Corinne, and Kevin

It was a very fun week. Thanks to all :)

Roller Coaster Collection

the sun is out

I hate to state the obvious, but summer is right around the corner. The sun has finally come out here in Michigan and June has been beautiful.

We have enjoyed the farm animals, many parks and playgrounds, the little pool in the back yard, a parade, and tons of other fun already this season. Through it all I always have a camera to play with and try to capture these experiences.

This is my favorite, hands down, from this spring: It is her warrior cry, she is so overjoyed by this slide, and it's echo.

Denver Visit

Good morning, err, afternoon. After 7 hours of sleep and 3 cups of coffee it is wonderful to be home., even with the cold gloominess outside. We missed Kevin and the hounds, but had such a wonderful visit.

Corinne is an outstanding traveler and enjoys the planes and moving walkways at the airport. We were delayed many hours last night and arrived in Detroit around 2 AM. She was a trooper. I am thankful we had truly been on vacation, not watching news or surfing the net. Ignorance is bliss when flying Southwest, I am happy to have not know about this.

I am so sad Tiffany, Tommy, and Sam are so far away. We had a fantastic time. We went to the zoo, the butterfly pavilion, many parks, brunch with the cousins, and tons of fun playtime. I love watch Corinne and Sam play, they adore each other. Oh, the giggles.

I tried to convince Tiffany and Tommy to move back to Michigan, but apparently the awe I expressed about their sunshine made Michigan sound less appealing. Did I mention it was in the 60s and 70s and sunny for most of our visit? I love the sun, and my batteries feel re-charged.

Sam had one morning where he followed Corinne around the house and told every time she looked at something "that's mine.". It was hilarious. It is tough having another two year old on your turf all the time for so long. Really he was a fabulous host. I think he must have learned that from his parents who made us feel right and home, like we could never over stay our welcome, and sad to leave. This was the first time we had seen their new home, which is beautiful. And the yard has a gravel pit to dig in, Corinne found this amazing.

All around a great trip. I am so glad it all fell into place.

Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure.

The feats of Winter

Now, let's see what has been happening around this crazy place this Winter.

We have built towers...

...and cities.

Magnificent works of art have been created.

Archeological digs for dinosaur bones were completed.

And sometimes we need to re-charge our batteries.

Sorry

It is official, I am a blogging slacker.

Chipped :(

That was fast and easy.

Gels?

I might be addicted to groupon. I had a nice relaxing outing to get my nails and hair done yesterday afternoon. The manicure was done with OPI Axxium Soak Off Gel. The gel lacquer system is painted right onto your nails, is dry before you leave the salon, supposedly lasts up to 3 weeks, and doesn't chip. It is time to remove it when it has grown out to an unreasonable point. Then you soak them for 10-15 minutes. I think this is novel. I chip nails moments after they are painted. So, I will keep you posted on this weird manicure.

Big Girl Bed

Corinne and I converted her crib yesterday after her stripping down while bored and not sleeping at nap time. Kevin and I had agreed it was time for the big girl bed a little while ago, we just had not executed. I decided that she should have the option to climb out of bed to entertain herself with toys or books instead of taking off all her clothes and peeing all over. So, she helped me with the tools and we changed out the side of her crib.

She climbed in and out about 40 times, thought it was AWESOME. We played upstairs and in and out of the bed for most of the afternoon yesterday. She went to bed immediately last night (she was extra tired from no nap) and I was sure the morning would really be the test of how the big girl bed was going.

When she woke this morning she talked a bit and when I went in her room I found her studying the low railing that keeps her from rolling out of part of the bed. Typically, Corinne starts her day with big jumps in her bed while she holds onto the railing of her crib. She was studying this ankle high railing to try to figure out how she was going to hold on to it and do her morning jumps. She seemed sad, not crying, fit throwing sad, but frustrated, unable to jump sad. I think not being able to jump in the bed so rigorously is probably not a bad thing.

Tonight she climbed in and out of bed 5 or 10 times while we got ready for bed. She and Kevin brushed teeth, we read books, and I tucked her in. Again, She stayed in bed and went to sleep.

My little girl is growing up.

* I knew I was posting to early and cursing the process. Corinne fell out of bed last night and was up multiple hours and afraid of her bed. She eventually went back to sleep in her bed with one foot on the ground. We slept in late to make up for the hours in the middle.

Shutterfly Representative?

It seems I keep hocking Shutterfly's products lately. I recently hosted a houseparty and taught everyone how to make photobooks. Now, I am going to take moment here to talk holiday cards.

In past years I have created my own custom card. I love squares and had 5 x 5 photos printed and then hunted for an affordable envelope option. This year I had my hands on the samples of Shutterflys photo cards and I have to tell you, they are nice. They tell stories, share moments, and so personal and fun.

I found awesome options for a sweet and modern 5 x 5 cards that come with envelopes (Can you tell the envelope hunt was rough?).

I had never even thought of doing a folded card. I remember when folded photo card cost a fortune and only could be ordered through professional photographers. Now they are affordable and look good with my snap shots. My mom is a huge fan of the holiday letter, giving everyone an update for each year. There is a perfect card for her that is a newsletter sort of format.

For the record I am sharing my love of holiday cards with you for a reason: Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly… sign up: http://bit.ly/sfly2010