So What Wednesday

  This week I am saying, So What!:   -That I am DYING for a new blog design (thanks Shannon for the heads up with Jess' Blog designs. I am so going to use her) but I don't want to get it started until I have pictures of our NEW baby to add to my little treasures. 5 more weeks!   -That 5 weeks sounds like an eternity. This whole adoption thing is a LOT tougher than my pregnancy with Isabelle.   -That we are going to an adoption conference this weekend at our church and Jen Hatmaker will be speaking. Her book,"Interrupted" is amazing and she is hilarious. I am ready to pick up and move to Austin so that we can be besties.   - That Noonday's New Spring Line is beautiful and the stories behind each and every one of the new items is even more beautiful. I am going to be broke very soon (Sorry about that Mr. T).   -That I'm the only human that didn't watch the Oscars or even care a little about who won. Lately, I have only been watching kid movies and so I don't even know most of the people or movie titles to stay relevant. I DO know that I loved Jennifer Lawrence before people found out that she was funny. Hello, she can shoot a bow and arrow like a boss.   -That I am a 28 year old, married, mom in the suburbs and I just said, "Like a Boss". Please still be my friend.

To my old man:

 

 

Happy 30th birthday old geez. Thank you for robbing the cradle and agreeing to marry me...I'm so glad you're not into trophy wives but more into grumpy moms who wear yoga pants (sorry 'bout that). 

  You always take care of me, think of sweet gestures (HELLO! Coffee each morning!) and you keep me and my smart/inappropriate mouth out of many fights and jail time. I owe you everything.

 

Sure, you may be old and fall asleep at 8:30 but I think it's cute that you pretend like you never were asleep. The random laughs that you throw out totally throw me off.

 

Sure, you may be old and not want a raging 30th birthday party, but that's what I love about you. You deserve a low key, intimate, birthday. (Also, your 40th birthday is just around the corner so we can always party it up then...here's to breaking hips!)

 

Sure, you may be old but you can still look hot wearing 3D glasses to watch a little Top Gun.

 

Sure, you may be old but I appreciate that you made that teenager on his skateboard go pick up the trash that he threw down in the neighborhood. My mother earth loving hippy ways are rubbing off on you!

 

 Sure, you may be old and CHOOSE to do a half marathon for your birthday, but you killed that half marathon. Prime age baby!!

Sure, you may be old but you're still a bad ass.

I love you. To the moon and back.

I don't hate the snow. I don't love the cold, but I don't hate the snow. When I lived in Kansas, I did get sick of it but since I have moved back to Oklahoma...I kinda miss it.

It makes everything so quiet and beautiful. It MAKES you slow down. It turns adults into children again by begging for an impromptu snowball fight.

 

 

 

 

 Yes, that's grapes for eyes and a carrot for a nose. Who really has a coal, a corncob pipe and a button just laying around? Not I.  

I have been hoping for some snow to come around because Isabelle has yet to see any (that she can remember). I was right, she had a blast splashing around (it was wet snow, since it was 60 degrees yesterday) running in the slush and throwing snow balls into the air.

I am so thankful for days like this.

 

 

 

So What!

Come on over and Link Up. It'll be a blast.
  This week I am saying, SO What!: -That I am getting a little bit sad about selling my car. It's just too small for this growing little family and it's time to step up to get a mama bear car. I feel so responsible. Also, if you're in the market for an Infiniti G35, let me know.   -That Isabelle's "toddler music" station on Pandora plays A LOT of Bob Marley. Seriously, Bob Marley as kids music? And Isabelle loves it. Seriously.   -I have not gotten on board with this whole Downton Abbey thing. I have no idea what it is and up until this week I thought it was called DOWNTOWN Abbey. For now, I'll stick with my "Real Housewives", they have more than enough drama for me.   -It makes me laugh inside every time I tell someone that "we are expecting" and they ask when I'm due and I say April. They always look at my unpregnant belly and get a weird look. It's really confusing to them and really hilarious to me. Read more about us HERE   -That I am officially (FINALLY) getting baby fever. It took me a while to really want a tiny baby and not just a toddler. Now I am really, really ready for a tiny little baby and everything that comes with that.      

Weekend in Pictures

It's a Monday and we got little to no sleep last night due to Isabelle's coughing (Thanks Mr. T for cowboying up and being the best Dad ever and taking care of her), which means I don't want to talk a whole lot so let's just check out the awesome weekend without a ton of words. Deal?

A friendly game of Bingo with my nephew and Isabelle. (Don't worry, those aren't their wine glasses).

 Spot the golden doodle. He's the best, right? Oh yeah, follow me on instagram (anotherstepmel) if you want to see some of these pics before they make it on the ol' blog.

We attended Isabelle's friends' birthday party. It was a blast and made Isabelle exhausted...win, win.  (That blur is us. We were super fast.)

Happy Presidents Day! Now get out there and enjoy all those discounts in celebration of George Washington's birthday....what's more American than that?!

Well I change my mind.

 

Valentines is kinda awesome. I mean, I can eat make as many sweets as I want because calories don't count when you just eat the batter and not the batch right? Yeah, I thought so too.

I put that theory to the test with Isabelle as we copied a recipe from Ashley's Instagram and I was so pleased with it. #1. It was easy. #2. My toddler could do most of it and #3. There was ONE thing to clean.

Boom. Amazing recipe.  

 

 

 Don't judge my pan. It's not dirty. Plus I only use it for projects like this, not to cook with (Or if I cook with it, I don't let anyone see it before hand...ha!).

 The sprinkles are the best part.

They are much prettier when they are off that ugly pan. They taste so good and they are so cute and festive. I told you Cupid got me!   

 We also enjoyed a good little walk to the duck pond. Isabelle also has realized that you have to go after what you want. If you want to put your arm around your man, you put your arm around your man! Before I know it, she'll be burning her Dora undies. Lord.Help.Me. 

FYI. She is really into choosing her own outfits. She has tons of cute clothes. They are a waste. I should of just stocked up on $7 "princess" dresses like this one.

Just when I think I am the best parent ever and she loves me the most....Mr. T shows up with a giant blue sucker (blue is her favorite color and a sucker is heaven on earth to her).
He's such a chump.


Happy Day of Love, Lovies!

Cupids little workshop

 Free printables HERE

Okay, I've never been a fan of Valentines Day. I think it's weird and made up and expensive. The flowers are 100% markup, the restaurants raise the prices, drop the service and their menu's are always bland. So call me a love-hater but I don't like the day. I feel like Christmas is the time to show love.
All that being said....
I think having a kid is slowly converting me to liking the "holiday". It's fun to make the cute little gifts and I DO love pink and red and now we are making the holiday laid back and fun with no fluff. Plus, hearing Isabelle say, "HAPPY BALENTINES DAY!" is adorable.


Cupid got me.

Love Fest

Isabelle and her best buddy (who she thinks is HER baby..even though she is just a few months older than him) are like a little old married couple. They fight, make up, hug and prefer to be together even if they aren't speaking to one another. It's adorable and SO in the spirit of Valentines.

 

 Her daddy wasn't so thrilled with this cuddling action.

 Seriously? We have tons of toys and of course they play with the 2 month old birthday balloon.

 

Quiet Time

 

Lately, my "quiet time" hasn't been so quiet. I have a new guest that also wants to sit and read quietly with me and she brings along her little flash cards to work on.

 FYI. The picture above was taken by Isabelle and she captured out "quiet time" together. My bible on top of her play-dough crafts.

 I have no doubt that I am going to miss this one day.

Making Valentines

This week we are making Valentines for all our relatives that don't live so close by. We are trying to teach Isabelle that special holidays aren't JUST for her, but that she needs to give out love as well....plus projects are fun.

 

The craft is simple: get some puffy pipe cleaners and put some cute beads on them. I tried to get Isabelle to stick with the whole red and white Valentines day colors, but in true Isabelle fashion, she made sure she made some that were blue (sister LOOOOVES blue, or as she likes to call it BAHLUE).
Toddler world is an interesting world. One week, I am ready to turn in my mom card and just quit and then the following week I can't imagine spending more than a few hours away from my girl. I believe that kids have a "parent detector" so that they know exactly how far they can push their parents to the limits before they need to do something super cute to reel them back in. Right now she is in the super cute, talkative, sweet phase which is awesome.
Her vocab is exploding which makes things even more fun, but at the same time it can make things more challenging because she is vocalizing EVERYTHING. Yesterday, she fell down and said, "Owww I hurt my feelings!" (girls are uber sensitive at EVERY age). She also told me while we were eating lunch together to "slow down and take little bites mommy. It's not going anywhere" which made me feel like Jillian Michaels was joining me for lunch.
Toddlerhood is awesome, right?

SO What!

  This week I am saying So What:   -That I started spin class last week and I have been peeing sideways ever since. That ol' bike seat is made for neither man nor woman. No one told me that this class would strengthen my legs AND my lady bits (gross!).   -Mr. T said, "Look at those little grimy little fingerprints all over the iPad that Izzy left. It's so cute!" I agreed, but in reality I know it was my grimy fingerprints all over the iPad.   -I am loving the Bachelor, but I am loving it so much because of Miss Crazy pants Tierra and I know she won't last much longer so I'm getting a little sad. She's the drama and I have a feeling after she leaves everything will be a snoozefest.   -I am becoming obsessed with Instagram. Come follow me @anotherstepmel.   -I haven't bought ONE single thing for our new baby that's due in 8 weeks. Our Story is a little different so there's a lot of nerves and clothes and "stuff" is getting a backseat.   What are you saying So What! to? Come on over and link up!

Lovie Dovie

So are you celebrating the whole Love Month thing? I always think Valentines Day is so stupid, but I am a sucker for themes and I do happen to love, love so I am jumping on this bandwagon of gooshiness. I am doing my part and watching The Bachelor look for love in all the wrong places and make cute crafts with my little lady and her little valentine buddy.

 They had a great time making toilet paper hearts (via Erin) in the awesome weather we have been having.

Maybe it's the California-like weather we have been having, or maybe it's the "Love Month", but either way I am loving February.

Dancing in the rain

We're doing a lot of that lately.
Embracing all of life's little surprises.
Taking it all in and leaving nothing behind.

 

"The days are long, but the years are short"-Gretchen Rubin