Monday, September 23, 2013

Today we worked on mastering the snack cup. After a hiatus from puffs {for no reason} Brynn made up for lost time with this new contraption. She's a pro.
 When I look at these pictures, I get a little sentimental. Out little girl is not a baby anymore. 
She's my world. I cannot believe how big she is getting. 
{please excuse our nap hair} 
Happy Monday...

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Happy Fall!

Today was the first day of fall and we celebrated hard! We had been keeping the party going- Tom's birthday decorations were still claiming the mantle. But one night last week colors of orange, yellow and red took over the mantle in anticipation for the first day of fall. One of the chalkboards from White Magnolia looks great against the blue window frame and amongst my dollar tree leaf garland! 

The weather was perfect this weekend. The windows were open and the air was off. {my air conditioner and next month's electric bill thanked me} The temperature only reached 85 this weekend! AMAZING!! Brynn and I woke up and met a good friend and her son, Seamus, for an attempted walk/playdate. Homegirl was not having the stroller or the bjorn... bossy girl. Instead we lived it up on the playground. Brynn loved making new friends with the other littles in the little tykes area.
Yes I was that mom who let her baby crawl/walk around bare foot at the park. She's just like her mama, she doesn't like to wear shoes. Okay, honestly we just haven't put any sort of footwear on her since the early spring.  I actually didn't even know what size shoe she wore until today. 

A recent scenario went like this. 
A parent from 2 years ago: "What size shoe does Brynn where?"
Me: "......... uhm, I'm not sure, she's kind of in between sizes {lie}, why?"
Parent: "There's some really cute shoes out right now."
Me: "Okay, she really doesn't where shoes."

Don't worry... after the park experience and a morning nap we hit up Payless' BOGO 1/2 sale and Old Navy,  but no luck. I want to get her a pair of shoes she can where with alot of her fall/winter wardrobe. But seriously... shoes? In the Texas summer? What is the point.. she wasn't walking. But now that she is standing and taking steps, she definitely needs some shoes. She's my little Polock.... barefoot beauty.

Even though we didn't find any shoes to cover her piggies, we did indulge in a pair of skinnies for fall. There are so many cute fall clothes out! Clothing is just one of the things I LOVE about the fall.



Things i LOVE about Fall: 

windows open
cool breeze
cuddling
blankets
boots... Oh, the boots
honey crisp apples
pumpkins
snickerdoodles 
dark dark dark nail polish
cardigans
football 
soups 
Halloween 
the decorations 
jeggings 
hot chocolate
homecoming
the Texas mums
leaves changing 
acorns
long walks
yoga pants
sweatshirts
sleeping under the comforter
an extra blanket on top
fuzzy socks
long sleeves
piles of leaves
crockpot meals
pumpkin patch
baby's first Halloween

As you can see i LOVE LOVE LOVE the Fall! It is by far my favorite season. As the weather changes and we say good bye to the sticky summer and those pesky mosquitos I feel like I can really breathe. There is something about the fall air that makes me feel centered, relaxed, and ever so grateful. It's hard to explain. I mean, look at this Fall sunrise. Our God is amazing. 


This Fall bring baby's last FIRST holiday. Halloween is Brynn's first but the last holiday before her 1st birthday.... say what?!? That's crazy. This year has flown by and this makes this fall even more special for our family. Costume planning is in full swing. I am going to follow in my mom's footsteps with the homemade costumes. Starting the tradition now :) 

And you know I this mama has a secret board brimming with pins for little girls 1st birthday party. 
Happy Fall Y'all! :) 

Sunday, September 15, 2013

finding balance

I have been a bad {really bad} blogger. The school year has started and somehow I have missed Brynn's 9 month post and today she turns 10 months. The time is really flying by.

This summer I felt like we fell into a good routine with Brynn and I was finally feeling comfortable. Then in service week started and then school... now I feel like it's all I can do to keep my head above water. When I work on being a good teacher, I feel like a bad mom and wife. Then when I work on being a good mom and wife, I feel like I'm short changing my students. Being a working mom is hard. 
The laundry is never done (it never has been), there's always a load of dishes to be done... and let's not even talk about working out. At the end of the day if I can say; my students feel loved and Tom & Brynn are happy and feel appreciated then I did my job. But I am feeling weighed down. I am struggling to give it up and give it to God. My grasp is too tight. 

August flew by... but that only means that Fall is just around the corner. Hallelujah! 
Here's what we've been up to.

On top of getting ready for school Brynn and I decided to throw Tom a surprise birthday party. There was a lot of late night crafting going on. When your husband works the midnight shift the sneakiness can't start until 9pm. I am planning a separate post on this later... {hopefully} The theme was a 29th Beer Bash. 


Brynn is on the move. She is a speed crawler... pulling up on anything and everything... cruising furniture and chatting up a storm. I am working feverishly to catch up on her monthly posts so I can start working on her 1st birthday party... {I can't believe I just typed that} You bet your bottom that I have a secret board full of pins. And have had one for quite some time.

{that tongue is always out}


After creating my own chalkboards to document my pregnancy my mom started asking me to decorate different pieces for her, here and there. I created a few chalkboards for family friends and made a bit of extra money. Some friends, but especially my mom have always encouraged me to do something with my creativity but I've always brushed it aside. I am so not a risk taker... With a lot of help from my mom I have decided to take a leap and host my own booth at a local craft fair. So without further a due I present....


I picked my sweet friend's brain for a name for these chalked beauties. She {sprinklesandwrinkles} has always had a way with words. Magnolia holds a special place in our hearts. We have a magnolia tree growing outside our kitchen window in memory of Baby H. So the name has special meaning and is absolutely perfect. Thank you dear friend :) 

So along with party planning, school and chasing a mobile baby there has been LOTS of chalking. My husband has tripped numerous times over the frames and canvases lining our living room. So we are counting down the days until the craft fair on the 28th. Say a quick prayer... I am hoping for lots of interest. 

There has been lots of activity going on in our home. We are anxiously waiting for the cooler weather that Fall will bring along with Brynn's birthday and the holiday season. 

Love y'all!