Hi. It's been a while.

So my new year's resolution went from:

Blog everyday.

Scratch that.

Blog weekly.

Scratch that.

Photo a day.

No way.

Ditch the blog.

And I stuck with "ditch the blog" for a looooong while.

As every blogging mommy knows, blogging can become obligatory. Which means blogging burn-out. And when you have to moderate 51 comments a day from some lady in China, it gets time consuming too. Uploading pictures is insane. Half of the time, my camera cord has been tied around some poor stuffed animal's neck, and it's being dragged around on it's USB-leash. Coming up with things to write is easy ... remembering them for the time it takes to experience the idea to the time it takes to walk to the computer to record it is hard. Because usually it involves something like "Remember cute Elaina saying ... Oh no, out of yogurt. Nuts .. dryer buzzed. Gotta keep the laundry going. No sweetie, I can't find your brown belt. And yes I love that tie. Ok, fine, I'll actually look at it before I say that next time. Elaina, where did you get those scissors?"

So you see ... squeezing in time to put on deodorant and brush fuzzy teeth is a bit higher on the priority scale than baby blogging. My soul is wanting to write, create, and learn ... and not about the merits of sugar free apple juice and velcro shoes. Not that those things are exciting ... in their place :)

So ... all this to say ... Farewell for now, baby blog.

I have instead resolved to prioritize a bit differently ...

I will be snail mailing the grammies and aunties real actual developed pictures of the child. I promise. And regularly.

I want to write about grown-up things ... And so I've begun a grown-up blog at:

http://ComePlayHouseWithMe.blogspot.com

... feel free to stop by and drool with me ... because you're never too old to play house :)

So farewell friends! I will still be popping into your blog worlds to get my weekly fix of your fun lives. Thanks for so much insight, guidance, and laughs through your wonderful comments.

Photos ...

It's "dress-up" week at school this week ...

Today was 50's day, and I just couldn't get enough of my little go-go star :)

Here's a link to photos from this last week or two uploaded from my phone's camera ... which I cannot for the life of me figure out how to link to the blog.

So here's the link to the facebook album :)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=140432&id=507432648&l=0bda7b1524

Malls have come a looooong way :)

Bye bye, Dippin' (high-fructose-corn-nastiness) Dots!

Hello, Orange Leaf Fro-Yo!

http://www.orangeleafyogurt.com/

E and I had a date @ Washington Square mall this week with one sweet memorable stop ...

Self-serve low- and no-fat frozen yogurt with yummy fresh toppings like ... kiwi, mango, peaches, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, coconut, and raspberries.

You pump it. You top it. You weigh it. And for 39 cents an ounce, you savor it!

Not Neutral

Over this last month, I've been playing around with the idea of "big girling" E's room downstairs. I've had this Rachel Ashwell shabby chic blue roses thing going in it for the last two years, and it looked sooooo cute in her old painted bedroom. But now we have lovely suburbian taupe walls throughout, and the pale color palette against it looks so blah.

I'm keeping the whole ensemble in hopes of using it again when we get a house and can paint and decorate the walls ... but until then, I wanted to play around with something a little more ... colorful. (very very very very very difficult a task for this color-phobe to do).

My first idea was to do a pink, blue and green princessy room. I saw this cute wall decal that said "My King is coming for me, and until then I am content to be His princess" ... I found this cinderella toile comforter at Pottery Barn Kids on clearance for $32, and a quick etsy search revealed lots of cute accessories. I collaged all the pictures together, and just about gagged at the overload of pastels. A whole roomful of bubblegum pink? Pink was sooooo 0-3 months. So I ditched the Pastel Plan, and moved onto bolder things ... And the best part is, the Ebay sale/profit (currently selling for $80+) of the PBK duvet will cover the whole color-overhaul costs!

That's when I spotted this comforter/sham set at JCP for $30-some bucks. A little Marimekko-ish, but definitely the splash of fun color I was looking for. AND with the added bonus of being able to throw in some renegade bohemian touches! Like a gypsy chandelier, amy butler pillows, and blowing up some art from my fave Esty artist, Sarah Jane Studios. Elaina got a little blabla backpack for Christmas that I'm hanging on the wall, and I'm having her watercolor some art for a project to match.

So I'll be busy with a can of spray paint giving new life to a roomful of white.

But ... moving away from all things Design*Sponge inspired, and first things first :) The dishes are screaming at me for a good long hot bubble bath, and I have to pack us for New Years ... AJ and I are singing and ringing in 2010 in Portland along with other Phil Wickham fan friends :) After the concert, we hope to get in some good midnight sledding before a warm-up in our room's hot tub! Yes, both nannies are home from college, and we are enjoying a dating frenzy while they're here :) Happy last few moments of 2009!

Understanding Christmas

What happens when a 3-year-old knows knows ***almost everything***, and just needs her parents to fill in the gaps? The intellectual circus that was understanding Christmas this year!

Elaina: "Is Jesus coming to His birthday party?"

Parental Unit: "Of course."

Elaina: "Will He be driving His car?"

Parental Unit: "Not until He turns 16."

Parental Unit: "Look Elaina, that man is supposed to be Saint Nicholas, a generous old man who people like to remember."

Elaina: "Actually, that's Santa, Mom. Most people just call him Santa, but it's ok. You can call him Saint Nicholas if you want."

Parental Unit: "Well, Santa is supposed to be like Saint Nicholas who was an old grandpa and died a while ago. So he's not really real, because people just like to remember how generous he was."

Elaina: "Mom. I saw him at the mall. I think he's real."

Parental Unit to Parental Unit: "Hey honey, do you think we should let Elaina open her (spelled out) S-T-O-C-K-I-N-G on Christmas Eve?"

Elaina: "All I know is, the sooner, the better!"

Elaina: "Mom, I can't believe we made this whole cake and Jesus didn't eat any of it."

AJ: "That's because the cake in heaven is much better than ours."

Oh, she's kept us on our toes alright.

The other day we were out on errands and wandering the Christmas aisles when she said, "Mom, don't you think it's sad that Jesus had to be born in a barn?" I responded how it was sad, and telling - of men's ignorance, and our Savior's humility. And as we turned the corner in our cart, I realized that of the 8 sections of aisles dedicated to "Christmas", there was one lone endcap filled with anything relating to Christ's birth. An end cap. The very essence of Christmas ... a meager offering on an end cap. And I, too, was reminded how sad and telling this was. Good News, Great News, inhabiting the most unassuming of places. How deep the Father's love for us ...

The last few days have been utterly relaxing. We spent Christmas Day fireside at home. Later, we caught up with dozens of other friends from Church at a little celebratory dinner/games night out. Elaina was caught red-handed there with a GIANT hunk of peppermint back that she had slathered with a half-inch of butter on top. (like father, like daughter). Really? Milk chocolate plus white chocolate plus candy needs butter?! Oh yes.

Christmas Eve we slumber party under the tree in sleeping bags. This year, we snuck back in for a good night of sleep on our mattress, but Elaina got to fall asleep under the twinkly lights. When she woke to find presents under the tree, she exclaimed, "Holy Mackerel!!!" at the top of her lungs, and then, in her complete amazement and thrill, proceeded to pee, yes, pee, on the floor. She then shrieked, "Oh no! I have to pee!" as she left a trail of her "excitement" on the tree skirt and even a few of her presents. It was her first accident ever. We got a good laugh out of it :)

She also got to watch Frosty the Snowman for the first time this year. She was horrified. When Frosty melted and Karen began crying, Elaina had a complete meltdown on Frosty's behalf, and we had to turn it off she was so crushed and upset.

While we didn't have a repeat of last year's "Lipstick on the Nativity Figures" incident, we did wake up to find that all of the angels and shepherds were lounging in bright purple doll-sized beach chairs, in the shade of the nativity. Just chillin.'

Hope you and yours got to enjoy a good dose of "just chillin'" too ... Merry Christmas! And a Happy New Year!

She works a wedge just as well as Victoria Beckham, don't you think?! :)

Bitty got a haircut :(

her loose lovely curls fell to the floor, and she sat beaming in the chair, looking and feeling all "growed" up.

it was time. the baby curlicues were making the rest of her hair a tangled mess, and i'd postponed this "first" for a long time.

of course, i saved (every) sweet strand of curls. :)

the next night she had her school program and i got to watch my little short-haired, bright-eyed angel take out joseph with her large glittery tinsel-covered angel wings as she inevitably couldn't hold still on stage. my little twirling angel.

i spent 3 blissful hours photo editing today and finally getting our christmas cards designed and ordered. i have taken everyone's holiday pictures BUT ours, so it was nice to finally get that off my plate ...

here's a few candlelit photos we took last night ...

i WILL be blogging more next year. i get so behind on pictures when i don't!

1, 2, buckle my shoe

How completely adorable is this "Sweetwater Vintage Numbers" dress?!

Since I lack sewing skills (understatement), I am content to admire the work of other crafty, inspired seamstresses ... and this is one of them. Have I mentioned that this fabric makes me swoon?! And the lining is dictionary definitions? Ah, to be robed in knowledge :)

You can buy this sweet little frock here:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34842186

Or, better yet, you can WIN IT here!

http://monkeys-on-the-bed.blogspot.com/2009/12/fab-friday-giveaway-big-top-vintage.html