bathroom talk

this picture, taken about a month ago, is misrepresentation of mine and hazel's days together.  it is true, she used to sit and play with her toys but those days are long gone.  she now prefers opening and closing every drawer and cupboard she can reach, getting in trash cans and clothes hampers, and climbing on anything and everything.  yesterday she learned a new trick.  she learned how to flush the toilet.  i normally keep the bathroom doors closed but when i am showering or getting ready for the day (or anytime the bathroom door is open) she crawls in as fast as she can and flushes the toilet as many times as she can.  i just hope she is this enthusiastic about the toilet when it comes time for potty training. 

on motherhood

if it's true that good intentions pave the road to hell i'm in trouble because i have myself a pretty well paved road.  i have been meaning to update this blog since, well, the last time i updated it but it just hasn't happened.  i don't know how these 'mommy bloggers' do it; being a full time stay at home mom and keeping an updated blog is a lot of work. 

for a while i didn't update because i felt i needed some time to find my voice as a new 'mommy blogger'.  i mean really, who cares, besides me, that hazel rolled over for the first time or is in the 99th percentile for her height?  nobody really wants to read that.  then i thought i would write about these things for the sake of record keeping, then remembered that is what a journal is for.  mostly i didn't update for two reasons: one being that hazel keeps me pretty darn busy and two that half the time i feel i don't have anything exciting to write about.  my days are all pretty much the same: feed hazel (a LOT), change diapers (a LOT), read stories and if the weather permits go for a walk.  i usually try to throw getting dressed and cooking dinner into the mix.  not that i don't enjoy my life because i do, i love it.  i just find it hard to write about my everyday routine and make it exciting enough for somebody to want to read about. 

so why am i writing now?  quite simply because i love to write.

In the last five months i have continued to grow as a mother almost as much as hazel has continued to grow.  and boy has she grown.  it seems she will wear a new outfit once or twice and then it gets boxed up with the rest of her outgrown clothes.   and every time i buy diapers it seems i am buying the next size up.  you would think all this growing would make her tired but it doesn't; naps are a rare thing around here.  eating isn't though.  i can't take a drink of water or eat a bowl of cereal without having her crawling up my leg.  the girl likes to eat.  the bad thing is she likes to eat more than just food.  she will eat dirt, carpet, toilet paper....anything she can find really.  i have learned to keep the doors shut and the floors vacuumed. 

being a mom really is great though.  it amazes me watching this little person grow and develop.  i know she teaches me far more than i could ever teach her.  i have learned what unconditional love is and know that my love for her and her need for me resemble, if only in part, the love my father in heaven has for me and my constant need for Him.  this lesson, i know, is all part of His plan. 

under the weather

i have been feeling under the weather the past couple of days.  some weird virus david had a couple of weeks ago.  no symptoms other than headache and extreme dizziness.  and i mean extreme dizziness.  if i move my head even the slightest the entire room spins.  not fun to take care of a little one with this going on.  luckily little h has been in an extra snuggly mood.  thank heavens for that.

hope you are enjoying your october so far.  yesterday the weather was perfect so i laid a blanket on the grass and hazel and i soaked up the beautiful fall weather.  i think fresh air is one of the best medicines.   

saturday walk

 i am seriously falling in love with where i live.  on saturday we went on a beautiful walk at the perrine memorial bridge in twin falls.  i soaked up every ounce of the perfect fall weather and could not get over how gorgeous the scenery was. 

 i don't think there is anything hotter than seeing david with hazel.  he is such an amazing dad. 

 while we were there we even got to watch bridge jumpers.  seeing people jump off the bridge was amazing yet terrifying.  i held my breath every time they jumped as i waited for their parachute to open. 

 it was a perfect saturday.  the best part of moving is discovering all the newness around me.  how did you spend your weekend?

fall crafts for under a dollar

this week i have been working on a lot of crafts using things i had just laying around the house.  this pumpkin is probably my favorite thing i have made. ever.  all you need is an old book, scissors, hot glue and an object of your choice to use as a stem.  i used a pencil wrapped in wire because that is what i had but anything could work: a twig, pipe cleaners, a pretzel...be creative.  the point is not to spend a lot of money on this. 

 these are easy peasy to make.  it took me fifteen minutes.  i had an old book laying around.  (i actually used Little Women which is my favorite book of all time and had a couple copies of).  if you don't have a book you want to cut up you can get one at a thrift store for a quarter.  for starters remove the cover of the book.  next use your scissors to cut the corners off the top and bottom of the pages to give your pumpkin a rounded look.  depending on how good your scissors are you can cut a pretty decent chunk at a time.  at first i was obsessed with getting each section to be the exact same size but i think i actually like it better when they are slightly different sizes; it gives the pumpkin a more natural looking texture.  once you have finished cutting glue the front and back pages together.  stick your stem in the middle and done!  i ended up gluing a few sections together because my book was kind of stiff.  if you don't have a hot glue gun it would even work to paper clip the front and back page together.  remember, be creative. 

 my next craft originally started from an idea i saw to make jack'o'lanterns out of painted tin cans.  i started on this idea but had some issues with my drilling.  i was too lazy to paint new cans so i had to think of something to cover the hideous holes i had drilled.  for this project i used tin cans in varying sizes, craft paint and brushes, fabric strips, twigs and hot glue.  again if you don't have some of the objects find a replacement.  the pumpkins would also looked cute wrapped in ribbon or twine.  again, get creative!  to begin paint your cans.  make sure you let the paint completely dry between coats otherwise the wet paint will just smear around.  once you have all your coats and the paint is dry tie the fabric strips around the pumpkin and hot glue on a stem.  see how easy that is?

and there you have it!  two quick, easy and inexpensive fall projects!  happy crafting!

enjoy your weekend,
k

harvest

i'm getting my craft on over here.  when hazel naps i explode with creative energy.  it can be pretty scary.  today i think i will put down the sand paper and paint brushes and turn on the oven.  this cooler weather has got me craving pumpkin cookies.  david will be so excited when he gets home.  what is your favorite fall food? 

children's books

this book was by far my favorite book as a child.  it is silly, clever and fun to read.  when i read it to hazel i am very dramatic with my voices and she always looks up at me and laughs.  what was your favorite book as a child?  what are you children's favorite books? 

fall is here

we celebrated the first day of fall {saturday} by picking out our pumpkins.  can you tell whose is whose?  i just love fall.  i love sweater weather, changing leaves and pumpkins.  i love autumn scented candles, honey & spice cookies and hot cocoa.  what is your favorite thing about this season?

the many faces of hazel asay

"mommy, what are you putting in my face?"
"is that a camera?"
"okay, i guess i'll smile!"

enjoy your weekend.

hazel and batman sittin' in a tree

a few months ago david bought hazel this batman toy and boy does she love it.  she has a ballerina teddy bear, a pink hippo and a purple elephant but she only has eyes for batman.  david is so proud. 

this morning i went to the dmv to register our new car-- i ended up having to make three trips.  i didn't realize registering a car was so difficult.  my morning errand turned into a full day event.  following the dmv hazel had her four month check up.  (i can't believe my baby is four months already)!  seeing her get her shots is probably my least favorite thing ever.  she wasn't a fan of the shots either but everything was okay once she came home smooched on batman {and daddy}.