Catch Up Part Something...

So it has been a while since I have actually thought about blogging. Not going to lie.

There have been birthdays, lazy days, work, grocery trips, lake trips, church going, vacation Bible school, lots of house cleaning (hahahahaha not really), and lots of growing.

Yes I said growing.

Since my last blog during recital week, our child has turned 5 months old and then 6 months old a few weeks ago.

Holy moly folks.
At her 6 month appointment, Pipes was a whopping 27 in. long and 18lbs. On the dot....
She is my child.
For those who know me, they know that I hate uneven numbers with point this or half that or fraction business. I want it to the point and concise.
It is only fitting she is precise on the mark.

The only thing not quite so precise on the mark is her milestones.

I'm afraid we will walk before we crawl.
Let me rephrase that... Piper is determined to walk before she crawls.
Yes, she is determined to walk. No crawling necessary- she feels that's for babies.

At 4 1/2 months we notices her trying to balance and sit up completely on her own.
A month later that was mastered and she could sit on the floor and play all on her own- reaching for toys and going about her business.

*It is quite the wonderful thing to have a child who entertains herself.

By 6 months old, she was pulling up to stand when we held her hands.
As of this week, she can pull up to stand on her own and tries to let go and stand on her own.
That scenario doesn't exactly turn out on the positive side yet, BUT...

YESTERDAY
as Piper pulled up on my hands, she took 4 steps forward...

That is impressive...Although I am a tad partial being she is my child.

Also, we like to make noises to hear ourselves. Ranging from screeching, screaming, and outright hollering to grunting, oooing, and a funny little diddy where she purses her lips like she's trying to spit.

There's the catch up on Piper for the past 2 months.

Now let's catch up on some opinions I've had lately.
Proceed to the next entry and take a right.

Late Night Run Through

 It's 4:05 am on a Friday. It's recital day 1, show 1, aka the most wonderful time of year around the dance studio. 

Hectic and nutso at times, but after a Route 44 Sonic drink it's ok. Worth it more or less. 

In my mind I'm running through the staff dance, to do list, accounts to post to, kids' to find to help fix hair and makeup, remember this and that and them and all of the above. 

Yes I'm serious- recital is seriously the best!

Starting in August every year I hear the songs the kids are dancing to while at my desk, I hear them tell their mommas when they come out all about the new steps they learned or combinations in tap, jazz, or ballet;but I never get to see the actual dances until recital comes around. 

So during dress rehearsal when I'm not looking for shoes, working on accounts, or sorting shirts, I get to not only watch all the little ones from ages 1 to 5, but also watch those babies watch in awe of the teenagers with their fast tapping feet, clogging skills, the huge group numbers, and of course the fabulously amazing production number throughout the entire show- this year just happens to be... Wait for it...

The Wizard of Oz. 

boom. 

I also get to watch the babies jump out of their mommas' laps and into the aisles of the auditorium to mimic the older girls' dance moves or make up their own. 

Why yes it will melt your heart. 

On the days where you think the world is crumbling to pieces for one reason or another, watching the kids dance and their excitement for the show reminds me why I love my job so much. 

*and why I absolutely can not wait to put Piper in dance and see her at her first recital*

Also, after being behind the scenes on it all the past 5 years, I know it's all done strictly for the kids. No financial gains, no "oh look at us", no personal indeavors, but simply because we want the kids' to have the best recital experience possible. 

In the end, it's all about giving the best to our dance kids because to us they're our own. If you hurt one of them, you'll have more than 1 momma to deal with. 

When you see us post about the KDAS family, it's because it is a family. 

You bond, you help, you pick up one another, you hold your teammates accountable, you praise one another after a performance, you practice, you perform, and most importantly...

You always stick together. 

Oh. Wait. 

Did I mention they win big trophies too? Like taller than me? 

But most importantly they have sportsmanship and class.

Let me give an example (because I've told almost anyone who asks how dance is this year). 

That's a thank you mote from another studio at the last competition. I'm a tad proud and I'm just the secretary (and bandaid distributor and splinter puller). 

So.  

If you have nothing to do on this so far rainy Friday at 6:30 or Saturday at 1:30 & 6:30pm. Come on to the MJHS auditorium and see what these kids have worked for and what the competition kids have won all these awards for. 

You'll have a blast no doubt. 

Home Redo Update

Thus far...  The bedroom is finished thanks to my mom's handiwork with a sewing machine- new pillows and curtains 

And new curtains in the dining area and kitchen

And oh yea I covered my "bright idea." Thank the Lord. Hallelujah.

We now have a calm neutral colored kitchen with fun accents- ie my obsessiveness with Coton Colors and the newest addition to the collection. THE leopard bowl. Omg. 

 

By no means am I a fabulous photographer... I made a B in that class. 

Actualy pictures of complete room redos will come as soon as I put the seal of approval on them, but right now I'm a little too excited about my latest DIY project that saved quite the pretty penny. 

After getting rid of the big comfy couch- thank you Lee family for removing it from our living room and giving it a new home- we brought in our loveseat from the mancave/hunting room/extra thing. We have gone back and forth about what to do with it and so after watching a youtube video I gathered some gumption and said here we go. With my handy staple gun and 3 sets of Walmart curtains I began recovering the loveseat. 

Now how did I figure it out? I made it up as I went. That's how. 

What I did to one side, I cut the same pattern for the other. 

No it isn't upholstery fabric, but what 22 yr old honestly has $500 laying around to play with to buy 10 yards of fabric for an old loveseat along with another couple hundred to pay someone to recover it for them? 

No says I. 

So as I said. I watched my video and away we went. 

I truely think Andy thought I was going to ruin the thing.

I partly thought I would too, but this time I wouln't have pregnancy to blame my brilliance on. 

BUT my brilliance was actually brilliance this time.

Booyah. 

The only downfall was that I needed one morw curtain for the last 2 cushions. Other than that, it's pretty spectacular if I do say so myself. 

Yes. I still have everything strewn out trying to find things a home. 

Ignore it. 

I'm pretty proud of the $30 couch redo. So still sticking with my design on a dime, I'm awaiting the delivery of a lampshade, 3 pillows, and the new curtains from walmart.com. Stay tuned for finished products. 

Quote of the Year

I have bad habits. I do. I'm messy when I do projects. I chew on the inside of my mouth. I pick at pimples. I make quick decisions sometimes too quickly. I have to count  things a certain way. 

Etc. etc. etc.

I also tend to put my feelings and emotions into situations I can't control. Or according to most people what little emotion and heartfelt warmth I have left in my black and heartless soul. 

**disclaimer- no I do not have a black soul nor am I heartless. My husband tends to claim I appear emptionless or cold at times. I.e. It is a joke. 

See previous post by the way. 

Therefore, my new favorite quote I'll be tattooing to my forehead for when I gaze into my mirror every morning.   

Not my circus, not my monkeys. 

I have my own circus and own crew of monkeys to deal with. I do not need to add more to my circus. We have plenty and are at max capacity thank you. 

Unless I plan to tame your monkeys for you, in which I would then take custody upon such occurance, I will then invite you to my circus and provide the popcorn free of charge. 

Until then, mind your own monkeys. 

Hard Knock Life

Today has been a hard day. But in reality I have business saying such words. I don't know the true meaning of the statement, but in comparison to normal days it was. The type of day in which I have been reminding myself over and over, "not everyone gets a crown."  I.e. My own words I use to explain to my dance kids things aren't always fair. 

Today was one of those days I needed to tattoo that on my own forehead, backwards, in black ink, font size 48, arial script so I could read it everytime I looked at myself.

Life is not always fair, situational outcomes are almost never fair, and I being the control freak I am-have a very hard time with that. 

I was the kid in school that hated group projects because I couldn't do it all. 

I can't take it. 

It's not always fair. Fair really has no relevancy or place in describing life events. Not every kid gets a trophy. Not every beauty queen deserves or recieves a crown. If a child doesn't win, teach them to be a graceful loser. 

If I grew up thinking everything would be given to me so things could be fair, I wouldn't have learned to work for what I wanted- even if in the end I didn't actually get what I thought I had earned or deserved. You get over it. Move on. 

Today was hard to overcome that. It's not fair. Why. Why. Why. 

But then I look around. 

My husband let me do what I wanted to our home when I redecorated. 

We have a gorgeous 4 month old. 

We have a pair of adorably humanlinke furbabies. 

We both have wonderful parents and siblings we love dearly and love us unconditionally. 

So what do I have to ask why about or what do I believe is unfair?

Nothing apparently. 

You get over it. Move on. 

Not everyone gets a crown. Nor do you always deserve it. Look past it. Be thankful for what you already have. 

My "Bright" Idea

So back about a year ago I had what I thought was the most brilliant idea- repaint the horrid maroon kitchen in our home. That's all fine and dandy. 

The problem?

Orange. Bright. High. Gloss. Orange. 

5 coats of it to cover the previously maroon walls.  

The other problem? 

The rest of the house is covered in flat matte paint. 

Oof. 

It looked like Halloween vomitted. 

To everyone who politely told me it was cool. Shame on you... Whyyyyyyyy

The only thing I can think of that made me think it was a wonderful idea?

The fact I was unknowingly pregnant. 

Yes I was 2 months along when I painted the kitchen. 

Pregnancy brain. It really is a thing...  

I painted it actually a week or so before I took my ten billion pregnancy tests. 

That's the only thing I can think that would have made me believe thatorange  kitchwn was so pretty...

I honestly cannot express how horrible it was. 

So in the midst of finishing this shabby chic meets cow pow renovation my mom graciously helped me rid our home of the terror of orange paint by covering it with the same light gray that the rest of the house is painted. 

And now it is finished

A whole new world folks. 

And now today we are working on curtains. 

The material for in here to go with my neutral Coton Colors? 

Voila. 

And then to address the couch situation. 

Ready. Set. Break. {claps hands loudly}

Catch Up

Let's play a game. 

Catch up. 

Yes imagine that creepy little puppet on the tricycle why don't ya. Not. If you're anything like me you'll end up with nightmares and paranoia that that thing is pedaling down the hall coming to sneak up on you at 2:45am when your husband is on night shift and the dogs bark randomly. Insert nervous laugh as you make sure you have easy access to your handy dandy purple pistol. 

Simply put- do not enter our home unannounced nontheless unwelcome. 

Now that we've chased a rabbit or ten. 

The Redo:

I am 2 weeks into redecorating... The whole house. From a new color palette to repainted furniture and repainting lots of things actually. And rearranging. And new curtains. And. Everything. 

So thus far...

Notice the adorable furry photobomber. And no I have not yet purchased lamp shades. 

Yay for WalMart and chalk paint!

And reusing home decor we already had. 

 And....

 The living room so far. Not near finished. 

Notice the fabulous cow picture from The Interior Story here in town. Next to add a few new pillows, a rug, and a small end table for the other couch and it'll be D-O-N-E. Oh and a cowhide I ordered to hang on the opposite wall. 

Which leads to tonight's project. The chair. 

This chair has an interesting story that I laugh about. One day I may tell it. 

But here it is in original form

And then I applied chalk paint and a fifty cent feed sack I bought on Etsy. 

And now we haveeeee.....

I'm kind of excited about this piece. 

That is all. 

The Plexus:

I am 2.5 weeks in. 7 lbs down. And I forgot to measure inches... Sad day. 

Oh well. BUT I feel great, clothes fit, and my pudgy chin thingy I developed when I was pregnant is gone. That's the most important part right now. Also, my nails are growing like weeds. Long and strong. I get asked alot if they're fake. 

My skin is also much healthier due to drinking more and more water. It's all around great. Now to tone up. 

My only set back?

That little pudge that haunts all c-sectioners. 

And Taco Bell. Oof. It's an addiction. Along with my love for Cancun fajitas and salsa. 

My newfound best friend? An elastic corset from Zulily. It smoothes that sucker out and is actually comfortable to wear for long periods of time.

These are the latest, and maybe next time I'll have before and after pics from the Plexus. If I get brave. 

Piper is 3 months old!

So baby girl is 3 months old... And 10 days. 

Yes mom of the year right here forgot to take a sticker picture after church last Sunday on the 8th to commemorate the occasion so that night this was the best I got 

In a good 20 years she will find this funny I'm sure. Hopefully. I would. 

But on the flipside atleast I'm keeping up in her baby book. Sort of. Better than I thought. 

But I do take a million pictures everyday and have every intention of scrapbooking her every move. 

That counts right?

So here we are. 3 months and 10 days into the life of Pi- Life of Pi...per. Get it?

The movie. 

I may just change that to the name of the blog. 

She loves DisneyJr, bananas, applesauce, rice cereal, her furry sisters Emmie and Ellie, "talking," smiling, sticking her tongue out, and of course inspecting those adorable roly poly feet of hers.  Also I have deemed her Princess Poopy Pants, but isn't every infant? At times I think she does it on purpose- going at it all over again right when I put the clean diaper on. I'm not the only person who has this problem right?

So here we are. 3 days later this entry is finished as Precious is cooing in her sleep, snuggled up with Miss Moo and Miss Piggy and that blinged out pacifier, and I'm contemplating on inventing a pause button due to the fact she needs to stop growing. Like now. 

Redo

I'm a sucker for decorating whether it be a room, whole house, a display, a baby shower- I'm all for it. 

So last Saturday my husband said this magical sentence... 

"Let's get rid of the red couch."

What did I hear?

REDECORATE EVERYTHING!

So I gathered the semi old and made a completely new plan for the new. 

From bold black and white and red and burlap I switched to blues and greys and creams and mercury glass. As I call it, Bold and Brilliant to Farmhouse Shabby Chic. 

I started on it Saturday night by taking down the things I knew I wouldn't use and drawing up a new plan and playing on etsy and cleaning. 

Sunday I started the buying. Let's just say it's a Pier 1 design scheme on a Walmart budget, but it's working. Walmart, etsy, and Walmart.com are the bomb. Oh and of course Zulily, can't forget Zulily. And The Interior Story here in town. 

From Walmart and walmart.com I've gotten all new rugs, lamps for the living room and foyer, throw pillows, curtains, and floral. 

From etsy I've ordered material for 3 other sets of curtains and a bench cushion, a pretty cool decal for the kitchen, and a vintage cow feed sack to recover a chair in the foyer. 

Zulily. The neatest picture ever for this redo. 

For those who don't know, my Andy and his family used to be chicken farmers. I found it fitting. 

Oh and I can't forget The Interior Story in town for my vases and new living room piece. Pictures of that will come after it's completely finished. 

And now I'm repainting furniture with the ever fabulous chalk paint and making canvases to hang in the freshly redecorated master bathroom. 

This is my first time using chalk paint. And now I'll need to find a support group for chalk paint addicts annonymous. 

Yippy skippy. 

So as I sit on the mountain of fur pillows and amongst the ceramics and the mess of decor still sitting on the table and the paint brushes, I can't wait to see the finished product.

A cozy cleanish house. 

And now to find lamp shades and new dog bowls... Target maybe?

Soap Box #2

The previous post has me fired up, so let me post one more for tonight. 

Don't ever ever ever ask someone when they'll have a baby or another baby for that matter. 

I've been on both sides now. It hurts. I'll be the first to admit it. 

I have been the person I mentioned earlier. I would ask all the newlyweds when they'd have a baby when I saw them at WalMart or the new parents when they would have another. 

Then I was on the other side of the fence and it all changed. When you ask those questions they're not meant in malice. Simply hopeful of bringing more joy into life. Well those questions don't always end with joyful answers. 

What about the couples who have tried for months or years or even exhausted all efforts of becoming pregnant on their own? 

What about those who just experienced losing a baby?

What about those who can't have children?  

What about those like myself who aren't allowed or those who aren't capable of  becoming pregnant again?

How do you politely answer that question without making the questioner feel like a horrible person? 

There's no easy or simple way or textbook answer. 

Am I or other parents who have one precious baby unsatisfied with our little miracles we were allowed to have? No. Not at all. 

Do we wish at times we could have more and experience the joy of bringing home baby and giving our first a sibling? Absolutely. 

Do our hearts sink and tears well up in our throats sometimes when asked about having a child or more children or at the mere thought of even remotely longing for a baby? 

Yes. 

Then you remember your little ray of miraculous sunshine God gave you sleeping on your chest popping her pacifier in and out of her mouth as she snores, and you're more than grateful and overjoyed by what you have. 

My cup runeth over. 

But I'll say it. I'm 22 years old and will not be able to become pregnant again. It's not safe.  

Due to the nature of Piper's arrival, it would not be safe for me to carry another child. The same is most likely to happen again, but I might not be so lucky as to actually be in the doctor's office when and if it did.

So when you ask those questions and you're cut off by a short "no," do not take offense but simply think there may be more to it. 

Do not say "Oh you'll forget the pain and how it happened will want to do it all again."

No. I and others like me will not. You don't forget the pain or the day your child almost died.

Did I practically forget almost all of December due to my anesthesia and pain medications? Yes. 

But I won't ever forget that.