I love you!

First sentence. Yay!

Beginning To Unpack and Decorate

I'm finally starting to get the house in order a bit (and by bit I mean the tip of the ice berg.) Between going to Florida and trying to get caught up on my design work ahead of time I haven't really had time to work on the house. So here is the entryway.BeforeAfter

This stuff was on a shelf in my kitchen and I loved it. I was so excited there was a place in the new house that it all fit on.
The floor mat is from Linnens N' Things. They are having a going out of business sale across the US. I got some awesome curtain rods for several rooms as well on clearance. The curtains are leftover parts of a set I got on clearance for another room. I was planning on making some but it was easier to make them out of the other curtains. The curtains are a little fluffier than I planned but I like the overall effect.

Good Surprises

1- I was on the phone with my Mom having her proof some of my artwork and Two Fish brought Red Fish in to say good night. I held the phone up for Red Fish and told her to say "Night night" to gammie and she did! Then she spent the next ten minutes saying "night night night night night." So cute!
2- I had mentioned that I was hungry last night at ten and twenty minutes later Two Fish surprised me with a plate of mac n cheese. Happy day!

Florida

The seasoned traveler

On Sunday my Mom, Redfish, and I flew to Northern Florida to visit my great uncle L for four days. I was apprehensive about taking Red Fish on another flight after our less than fun flight to California last month but I was pleasantly surprised. She did really well. I've decided the key is to have a large variety of snacks in her bag- cheerios, sweet potato puffs, dried fruit, smiley snacks etc. I also made sure I took her two favorite (and very bulky) books on the plane with me. We did have alot of delays and sat on the runway for an extra hour and a half total waiting for our planes to take off. It makes for a long day.
Red Fish is very attracted to the color red. When she saw this wall paper in Uncle L's house she just couldn't stop herself from hugging and kissing it daily.

Red Fish took a liking to my Uncle L and kept trying to steal his cane the whole time we were there. Uncle L collects antiques so you can imagine my stress level spending hours on end in a room full of breakable items with a toddler who was feeling especially curious and frisky. By the end of the day Red Fish would become a complete maniac and just run around the room screaming and waving her arms. I think she enjoyed having all of the adult attention focused on her for a few days.

Red Fish also enjoyed being especially silly with her gammie. Red Fish got so worked up everyday that she refused to sleep in the pack n play at the hotel. She insisted on sleeping with me in the bed and thrashing around and kicking her legs all night. I don't think she ever settled down the whole time we were in Florida. At least she enjoyed herself! Uncle L tried his best to initiate Red Fish into the world of table linnens and stemware. Red Fish tried her best to introduce Uncle L to the world of spitting your food on the floor and finger painting the table cloth. Of course she kept her napkin in her lap like a perfect little lady. We also spent some time looking books. Red Fish showed her collection of mini masters art books to Uncle L.

Red Fish enjoying the sea shore

Bomb

Last night I had a dream that I needed to dismantle a bomb and hide it. This morning I couldn't find my cell phone anywhere. Apparently I dismantled my cell phone and put it in my pillow case in my sleep. Don't worry- we're all safe now.

Blue Fish

Pumpkin Patch

Home

Girly

Well little Red Fish has already jumped head first into the opinionated toddler phase. Whatever you are eating, she wants a bite. If you take a drink out of a glass she needs a sip. She has finally learned to go down the stairs after months of going up. She would never allow me to show her how to go down, she wants to do everything herself. Yesterday she picked out a very warm pink dress with fur trim that I thought was much too hot but she was insistent on wearing it. She even wanted to wear the furry hood up for most of the day so she looked like a little snow princess. Then when I was trying to get dressed, actually put on makeup and fix my hair (I wanted to look human for once- I'm going through a major frump phase) Red Fish wanted in on all the action. For each stroke of the brush in my hair she needed me to comb her hair. When I put on makeup she hollered until I took my blush brush and stroked it on her face. I also had to pretend to put mascara on her. When I curled my hair she had a fit until I got out another curling iron that wasn't hot and pretended to curl her hair. She wanted to do everything I did. Afterward I told her how pretty she is and she kept making the cutest faces in the mirror. She can even point at herself in the mirror and say her own name now. It's so cute! She is just as girly as I was when I was little. I need to dig up this picture from my childhood that totally describes me as a little girl. I'm standing on a chair digging through my dresser, wearing ruffled tights, a fluorescent orange trucker hat, and nothing else. I forsee pictures like that in Red Fish's future perhaps without the eighties trucker hat but who knows?

The Brink

No sleep last night. I think we are teething again. That means hours of crying and nothing will console her. Then a rough day where nothing makes her happy. Trying to get locks changed, banking info updated, water rights transferred, and schedule a few repairs. Packing boxes and the kitchen trash (which they both stopped to try tasting) are overturned as baby and dog engage in a romp around the room and I respond to emails about the pile of work I haven't gotten to yet. I allow her to eat one potato chip (lol- this is a very big deal for me) we sit on the couch for a few minutes and watch tv (double gasp.) My sanity teeters on the brink and then... she takes a nice long nap. I get to work in relative peace and when she wakes up we both smile at each other and sanity returns. She didn't die from the potato chip or the tv either. We were saved yet again by a nap.

Note: As I am writing this (on my laptop while blocking the stairs) Red Fish came up behind me and gave me a big hug and a snuggle and then went back to ransacking the house. It's all worth it.

We've Survived- Barely

We are mostly moved in - although our house looks a bit like we have survived a bombing of epic proportions. I'm trying to concentrate on getting one room functional at a time. Red Fish's room is pretty much set up and unpacked so that she will feel somewhat at home. The rest of the house is in total disarray as we deal with having things installed etc. I had kind of forgotten what an ordeal it is to move. There is a never ending to do list and we still need to work on the old house. The really best part of this move has been the incredible willingness of our family to help us out. I am overwhelmed by how kind everyone has been cleaning, moving us, babysitting etc. We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful family. THANK YOU!Red Fish is having alot of fun exploring the new house. She is pretty thrilled to see her room coming together. I will post pictures of the house as I get things pulled together. It may be a week or so before I get a room really finished off. (At least that's what I am hoping for.)

Red Fish also enjoys "helping" with the unpacking.Her "angelic" behavior isn't always appreciated.

Dug Dug

Well our Dog Blue Fish has now been dubbed "dug dug" by Red Fish. She has been following him around for the past couple days (narrowly missing paint trays and moving boxes) and snuggling her "dug dug". They spend an hour a day chasing eachother around the kitchen table. It's wonderful. I think Red Fish is feeling a little sad that there is so much stress in the house and that Mommy has been so busy so it's nice to know we can count on Blue Fish to give her some undivided attention.

Also in the quick news before I lose my internet for the move- Red Fish officially took her first steps. 2 of them. Two Fish was so excited that he was home from work to see her. We can't coax her into trying it again with nothing to hang on to but it's only a matter of time. I'm kind of looking forward to letting her touch the floor in a public place and not worrying about her crawling around in the dirt and grime.

Other than that it's just stress stress stress. We are trying to move in two days and also keep our house clean enough for potential buyers to take a look. It's pretty much impossible. Who knew we had so much stuff?