Just Another Day

In Paradise!

ConVErSaTioNS WiTh a ToDDleR

{This is one of those posts that is mostly for me

to look back on later and remember my cute kid,

but maybe someone else will enjoy it too so

go ahead and read if you desire.}

So sometimes I'm a horrible mother and

I don't always stay in the bathroom

the whole time my 18-month-old takes her bath.

Today I left her in there for several minutes

and came back in to find an ocean of water outside the tub

which Lainee had created by "DUMP it" her water from a cup.

Me: "Lainee, oh no!"

Lainee: "oohhh noooo!"

(as she peeks over the side like she had no idea)

Me: "We don't dump water on the floor...

Only in the tub."

Lainee: "Just wipe it... wipe it. Okay, just wipe it."

Me: "Should we give you a spankin'?"

Lainee: "Nooo. No."

(Shaking her head and sinking back into the water)

Don't worry. She didn't really get a spanking. I just wanted to make her nervous so maybe she won't do this next time.

You can't really see how wet it was just by looking at this picture but trust me it was WET! When I picked up the rug, I swear a waterfall came off it.

**************

Apparently the words "Doctor" and "helicopter" sound the same,

because last week I asked Lainee if she was ready to go to the doctor

(for her  18-month check up), and she said:

"okay. Where's it? Get it! There'd is. Tocter! Daddy's Tocter." 

***************

Me: "What happened to your bear's nose?"

Garen: "Oh she dropped it and the nose came off and I never found it."

Lainee: "Oh no! bwoke it a nose!"

Me: "Can I fix it?"

(So I got a perminent marker and colored it on)

Lainee: "I fixth it. A bwow a nose. A bear's nose."

(goes in the bathroom and gets a square of toilet paper,

holds it to the bear's nose)

"bwow a nose. fixth it. Better! bwow a nose."

[These conversations have been translated to english

and were much better in baby lisp form but you get the idea.]

{ S N O W M A N }

We finally have enough snow to play in,

And it's good snowman snow too!

Here is Lainee with her neighbor friends

and her very first snowman!

PS- Lainee calls her snowboots "snowman" haha.

She gets the snow part and just mixes up the last part.

a day full of LOVE

Valentine's Day

When Lainee woke up Valentine's day, I told her to look

and see who was in the hallway.

She popped her head up and peaked through the rungs in her bed.

Then she started bouncing up and down on her hands and knees

and saying "bear, bear, bear!"

Then she almost started crying when she couldn't

get out of bed fast enough.

She RAN and picked up this little bear

(and the cute little bag) and snuggled him for the next 12 hours

until bedtime. haha cute! She had a great day.

We did a family Valentine's date (with Lainee), and we're saving

a romantic date for a some night when we have time.

We made our own DE-LICIOUS dinner. 

All recipes we've never tried before.

While I was at work, Garen set up our little table so we

could eat facing eachother instead of in the stools at the counter.

He also used the decorations I bought very creatively

andit looked great!

More flower petals

{this is what a date looks like when the kid is invited haha}

Garen made the BEST appetizers and smoothies for drinks!

Then for dinner I made us creamy cheesy potato soup in bread bowls!

We were going to have pie for dessert but were pretty stuffed after dinner

so we're saving it for tonight instead!

Lainee's favorite was her drink so she never got to the real food

but whatever, she was happy.

Envelopes

So everyone has their strengths and talents,

and one of Garen's is being frugal, and budgeting.

I used to say that was one of my biggest weaknesses

but as of lately, well, it's still not a strength

but it's no longer something I struggle with much.

Here's why:

Garen watched all these Dave Ramsey DVDs his work buddies

were raving about, and I they put me right to sleep...

but this one part of his methods made total sense to me.

We budget by only using CASH for everyday stuff.

We used to use one of the big ugly

Dave Ramsey "Financial Peace" wallet dealios

with all the envelopes in it like a book

but like I said, it was big and it was ugly.

Soo... My sister-in-law Kyly and I got together one day

and created these beauties out of scrapbook paper!

Our very own "Financial Peace" envelopes.

If the money is there, we use it.

If there's no money, we don't spend money.

and I can visibly SEE how much is left for the month

and can therefore pace my spending accordingly.

 I love this method because no matter how cheesy it sounds

it really does give me major "financial PEACE."

Also, because Garen and I each have our own

personal fund for each month, I can buy whatever I want with it

and it doesn't bother him if it's something he wouldn't have bought.

(and vise versa)

PLUS... if we don't spend it all one month, it stays the envelope

and accumulates over the months. Cha-Ching!

I guarentee this cash envelope method works and

I STRONGLY recommend it to everyone!

Our catergories include
-Groceries/Necessities
(some people even have an envelope per week of each month)
-clothing
-date night/eat out
-miscellaneous
-Katie's personal
-Garen's personal

(big things like gas, rent, and other bills
are still budgeted but still come off the credit card)



 

right now

Lainee is asleep on the couch, and I love it.

Not that I don't love it when she's awake but,

I think all moms can agree

there's just something precious about a sleeping child.

(Plus it gives Mom a chance to get some stuff done before she starts

tearing the house apart all over again).

She fell asleep watching Mary Poppins

and it just happened to be nap time

so I tucked her in and took a picture.

Sweet baby girl.