The Real Danger of Leaving The Room During a Bath

First Pair Of Jeans

Brady wore jeans for the first time last week! I know, I know she's 3 1/2 (technically 3 3/4 -yikes!). I am a bit of a kids' clothes snob. I don't judge others' choices, but for my little gal we've waited on the jeans. I thought about it last year, but just couldn't quite go for it, just too grown-up, I suppose. She did have a pair of denim overalls. The first day (and maybe the only?) she wore those I could sense her own intrepidation. She was quick to find the largest bow and girliest purse possible to complete the outfit. This fall I decided it was high time. So, we set off to buy her first pair of jeans. Who knew shopping for toddler jeans was nearly as tricky as getting a pair of women's? She was smack dab between a 3T and 4T. We went with 4T and a cuff. She was so proud! Too bad my camera was on some odd setting that turned these all super blurry because she was really into this little shoot. Hopefully you still get a sense of the excitement and cuteness anyhow. Below is the essential booty shot.

Constant Chatter #8

In the constant chatter there are lots of forgotten quotes, but here are a couple of gems we've heard lately.

One day after getting dressed Brady said, "Don't I look cute?" (The girl is not hurting in the self-esteem department.)

I answered, "Yes, you do. And, how about me?"

She cocked her head to the side and slowly said, "Hmmm... not so much the yellow, mama." (Indy, if you are reading this I was wearing your favorite highlighter yellow cardigan. In all fairness, it is a tough color for some to swallow.)

Brady was on the phone with Gammi thanking her for the latest package full of goodness (that Gammi!) , but was quite distracted with my chocolate chip pumpkin muffin baking prep. She said , "I'm going to let you talk to mom; my breath is tired." And then mere seconds after she handed me the phone she said, "Mom, put the call on pause."

Thanks, Aunt Ashley!

We are in love with this dress made by Brady's talented Aunt Ashley! Thank you! Thank you!
When I tell B that I'm going to take her picture, this is the sort of stuff I get. A natural model I tell ya.
And thank you for the dresses (not handmade, but oh, I'd love an Amy Butler get up, too) that you treated me with this summer. I'm pretty rotten about writing thank you notes. Just call me "Good Intentions Girl". In college we had a friend we called that, but now I think I fit the bill. But, trust me I am so thankful for the dresses and for all you do for us. Thank you!

Pumpkin Patch Post 1

Here is the seemingly mandatory Pumpkin Patch Post, only it's in 2 parts because Blogger won't allow me more than 5 pictures per post- what is that about? So, post 1- We went on a hayride. I have a thing for pics of legs and feet.
We had some really great (and cute) company. 2 of the 3 wouldn't cooperate for a photo op.
Brady choose this perfect little spot for some pictures. It was a beautiful day. See part 2 below. Oh, and mom (and Shea Lea and Jenna) doesn't she look like me when she sports this 'do I practically always had?

Pumpkin Patch Post 2

The rest of the Pumpkin Patch Post. "Milking the cow" was Brady's favorite activity. She loved this last year, too.
This year they had a corn pit. She was slightly bewildered by the behavior of the MANY big kids there. I think she would have gotten really into this had there not been so many kids.
Here she is with her chosen pumpkin. She was so proud, as you can tell.
My big girl! Here we are enjoying our lunch. Well, we enjoyed it until the yellow jackets ran us off! Look closely at B's eyes here- hysterical!

Halloween Projects

We've been very excited about Halloween this year. Here are a few projects we've completed. First up, this little clip frame. We love these little raw wood $1 frames from A. C. Moore. We've used them for several holidays and occasions. I set Brady up and she painted it. On the other side she drew the face on with a sharpie marker after the paint dried. (This pic was taken during the process.)
Then we painted a T-shirt. I helped quite a bit with the pumpkin itself. Spreading the paint out thinly is tricky. Brady painted the rest with little help.
Isn't that little face adorable? I asked if she wanted to paint her name and quickly realized that wasn't such a great idea. What was I thinking? Using a brush to make such fine lines is hard for experienced painters, much less a new writer! I should have let her use a Sharpie. Nonetheless, I think she did a great job. And she was definitely proud!
We had some paint left over so we made a stuffed brown bag pumpkin. It's in the back left. B also used a permanent to turn these mini pumpkins into pseudo jack-o-lanterns. This is a picture of the pumpkin patch she made and played with after all our crafting. The play was cut short when we suffered from a pumpkin casualty. Duke ate one of the little guys. No worries, there's plenty more Halloween Fun to come!

Umbrella...ella....ella

A month or so ago rain was a bit of a novelty in this part of the country. One day Brady and I were greeted by a light shower during an outdoor lunch. I let her have full reign of my umbrella.

She was thrilled! I mean grinning ear to ear.
Some overheard quotes include, "Look, mom, I'm under here!" and "Mom, I'm a grown-up!"
What joy it is to see a child enjoy such a simple pleasure! And also, I'm pretty sure a kids' size umbrella will be gracing this year's Christmas list.

Slowly Letting Go Strand by Strand

Ever since Brady could reach out and grab, she's had a hold of my hair. It's been her obsession, her security blanket. Oh, sure I thought about cutting my locks when she was a mere babe. But decided it would be of no use since she was determined to hold on to even the tiniest little piece of hair, showcased by her love of grabbing hold of the flippy ends of her Nana's short 'do.
Initially, her first love was to put the death grip on my bangs while nursing which kept my head bent at an unfortunate angle. She moved on to grabbing, pulling, holding, and chewing any and every bit of my tresses she possibly could. This is when my perma-ponytail came into use. That didn't exactly work either because she transferred her need for hair into holding on to the entire tail. In these photos* taken when B was around 6 months old, you can see a ponytail holder and my lovely Timex watch on my wrist. Adam and I were both annoyed that I had forgotten to take them off before the photo shoot. But now, I'm glad they are there because they were an important part of my life at the time. The ponytail holder for obvious reasons and the watch to keep up with our feeding sessions.
Anyhow, this love/obsession continued on in many various forms. She loved to take the very ends of the ponytail and pounce it on her lips; she adored running her fingers through my hair tangling it and damaging it with her every move; she loved to lay her head upon my hair... I could go on and on. It did seem to get a little better as she got older, but it was always present in our lives. That is until the last few months. Recently full days have gone by without Brady giving my hair so much as a stroke. I find myself making it through the day without ever taking the ponytail holder off of my wrist. (WOW!) Every so often when she is scared or tired, she needs to get a quick hold, but in general she is over the hair!!! I have been longing for this day, but of course, part of me is a little sad to see this sign of letting go. Is it a coincidence that this milestone coincides with amplified behavioral issues? Probably not. (Something about independence vs. autonomy from my Child Development Class comes to mind.)


*Photos taken by my lovely and very talented friend Angela Alexander.