"Brocci, pease"

The other night at dinner, Bella had macaroni and cheese in front of her and I had broccoli on my plate. After a few bites of mac & cheese, Bella pointed to my plate and asked, "brocci? brocci?" It took us a moment to translate what she was asking for, but Ian quickly realized she was actually asking for broccoli. Once Bella realized we knew what she was saying, her face lit up and she asked, "brocci, pease?" I immediately cut up some broccoli for her and she happily chowed down.


Did my child just ask for broccoli? She sure did! Did she use the word "please" to politely request what she wanted? She sure did! Is she growing up way too fast? She truly is.


Bella is communicating quite well these days. She's always been a very verbal child, so I've never had any doubts about her communication skills. Okay, I lie... several weeks ago when she cried and whined all day long, instead of using her words, I thought we'd never properly communicate again. Bella never ceases to amaze me and I never should have doubted her. She is putting together 2-3 word "sentences" on occasion and uses her words rather than whining or crying to get what she wants or needs. Bella's intellectual development has always been ahead of the curve and we are very thankful for that. She uses her words and correlates simple concepts, such as identifying body parts. She can identify eight parts of her body and say seven of those body parts. She knows that her shoes go on her feet and that her shoes are kept in the basket in the laundry room. What an intelligent little girl!


Here is a list of words and phrases commonly used by Bella:

Mama	Dada
Dee-Dee (my mom)	Ree-Ree (her friend Reese)
Chance (Grandma Ruth's dog)	Tars (stars)
Keys	Toys
Baby	Minnie (Mickey and Minnie Mouse)
Piggy	Movie
Ball	Hi
Bye-bye	Ank you (thank you)
Pease (please)	Yes
No	Eye
Ear	Nose
Mouth	Hair
Belly button	Booty (butt)
Shoes	Apple
Peaches	Brocci (broccoli)
Nana (banana)	Baba (sippy cup)
Cheese	Treat (dog treats)
Out	All done
Uh-oh	Aww, man!
Go, go, go!	Weee, weee! (when having fun)
Mooooo! (when she sees a cow)	Roooar! (when she sees a lion)

Despite the occasional temper tantrum, this is such a fun age! Bella is learning new things each and every day and enjoys showing us her newly mastered skills. We're so proud of her and we're so in love with the person she is becoming. With Bella around, there's never a dull moment around here!


Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella

Cleaning 101

I posted several weeks ago about how I hired a housekeeper to help me maintain the inside of our house. We decided that she should come every three weeks and so she's scheduled to come clean our house next Monday. Obviously, I have been maintaining things and the time line of every three weeks works perfectly for us. I cannot live in a dirty house, but I've learned to let go and let the housekeeper do the deep cleaning. It's just nice to not have to polish the furniture or scrub the tile floors. Is it Monday yet?

Part of my daily routine includes washing all the dishes, wiping down the kitchen counters and picking up the house. I cannot stand dirty dishes in the sink, especially when the dish washer is located right next to the sink. I mean, is it really that difficult to load dirty dishes into the dish washer? I also try to go through and organize the mail. The amount of mail we receive is ridiculous! By organizing the mail (shred, recycle and keep) it makes our mail pile less daunting. These little tasks only take a few minutes each day but help in the overall cleaning process. I think this makes keeping a clean and tidy house much easier. I'm fairly organized and so everything has a place in our house. When things are neat and organized, it makes other chores so much easier. Now if only I could stay on top of putting laundry away...

In preparation for the housekeeper's arrival, I've done a few things to help make the entire process easier. I've composed a checklist of what to clean and what cleaning products to use. I know it sounds a little OCD, but I prefer to use certain cleaning products in certain areas (i.e. no chemicals in Bella's room). I hope the housekeeper appreciates my checklist and this will assure that everything is cleaned to my liking. I've used the checklist myself and it helps me keep track of what I've done and what still needs to be done.

I recently purchased a new stick vacuum cleaner and a new steam mop. I listed our old steam mop on Craigslist and it actually sold! I was quite excited because it's my first sale on Craigslist and it was pretty much effortless. The new stick vacuum is awesome! It is cordless and it is powerful! The battery last 15-20 minutes which gives me more than enough time to quickly vacuum several times a week. It only takes 3 hours to recharge the battery, so I can get all my quick vacuuming completed within the same day. It's lightweight and is perfect for my every day vacuuming. It sure beats lugging out the Dyson vacuum cleaner! The new steam mop is pretty sweet, too! It came with several cleaning heads and can be used as a handheld steamer. I've used it on the sliding glass door and it easily melted off the toddler fingerprints and dog nose prints. New cleaning products always make cleaning more fun... in my opinion.

Anyway... that's how I keep our house clean and organized! It may not work for everybody but it works for our household. Now if I could only convince Ian to hire a live-in housekeeper... I'll keep dreaming about that one!

Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella

Daddy Comes Home Today!

After being in Charlotte for an entire week, including the weekend, Ian is coming home today! Bella and I could not be more excited! This single parent thing has been a lot to manage and the days have been long, but we made it! Thank goodness for friends who helped keep us busy while Ian was gone. And I can honestly say that the 8 days and 7 nights went by quickly... can you tell we miss daddy?!?


My friend/neighbor Sara and I had nightly play dates for the past three nights. Bella and I headed over to the McGill's house after Bella's afternoon nap each evening. It worked out perfectly because the kids all played together and kept each other entertained, while Sara and I commiserated in our husbands being out of town. Without the nightly play dates, I don't think I could have survived. Thank you Sara and thank you for dinner and dessert, too! 


I managed to keep us busy during the day, too. Play dates, trips to the zoo and lunch with Grandma Ruth helped us pass the time. I probably went shopping a little more than I'd like to admit, but what else do you do when your husband is away? Spend his hard earned money, what else? I bought a few new toys for Bella, to help keep her occupied. And I also bought a new "toy" for myself... in the form of a new stick vaccum! Wow, my life is so exciting these days! 


We Skyped with daddy and spoke with him on the phone almost every day. When he wasn't working (or sleeping) he was calling to check in on us. I could tell that he missed us dearly and couldn't wait to get back home. I think the "I really miss you girls" and "I can't wait to see you girls again" confirmed that assumption. This is the longest either one of us has ever been away from Bella! Unfortunately this may not be our longest stint, as Ian will have to return to Charlotte for almost 10 days before busy season is over. Bummer.


Ian should touch down in Tampa shortly after dinner time and hopefully his flight is not delayed. He's hoping to see Bella tonight, before she goes to bed. He's even looking into an earlier flight, but we're not getting our hopes up. It would be really nice to have him home a bit early... so here's to hoping! 


Well, Bella is with the babysitter this morning and I've got a few errands to run. It's so nice to run errands without a baby in tow. I better make the most of the few hours I have to myself... so long for now!


Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella

Shopping with Grandma Ruth

Today Bella and I had the pleasure of having lunch and doing some shopping with Grandma Ruth. I know this seems like a common occurrence, but we enjoy our bonding time with Grandma Ruth and it's nice to have some extra hands when we're out and about.

Grandma Ruth had a coupon for Ruby Tuesday, and I loathe the location at the mall, so we drove all the way to Ruby Tuesday in Riverview. The restaurant is bigger, the staff is nicer and so overall, it's a much better experience. Bella hasn't been a big fan of lunch lately, but today she managed to eat half of my plate from the salad bar and some macaroni and cheese. She colored and conversed with other patrons as they walked by, which I find absolutely adorable. It was a fairly relaxing lunch, which is something I always appreciate.

We hit Babies-R-Us after lunch to pick up a few things up. I always end up walking around and buying things we don't need, but want. Luckily today I was able to restrain myself and we only purchased what we had originally planned to purchase. To be quite honest, I was quite proud of myself. Instead of walking out of there with two new toys for Bella, I walked out with only what we needed. Yay! Go me!

After Babies-R-Us, we went over to the mall with the intention of only going to JCPenney. Well, as luck would have it, we ended up walking around the entire mall and ended up in stores other than JCPenney. Bella snagged herself some new pajamas, a singing dog and a Minnie Mouse Christmas ornament. I snagged myself a new pair of pajamas, a new bra (woohoo!) and some free chocolate from Godiva. Sadly, I think I'm most excited about the new bra... sigh. Oh, and Bella is the only child I know who can convince their grandmother to buy them a $25 singing dog from Macy's. Like the child needs another toy... let alone a damn singing dog.

By 4pm, we were back home and Bella was dunzo. She fell asleep within moments of me placing her in the crib and slept to almost 6:30pm! I woke her up so that we could go play with our friends, the McGills. Reese, Aidynn and Bella definitely need some wild-child time. They ate snacks and chased each other around the house until almost 8:30pm. All three girls were exhausted and I knew this would make for an easy bedtime at the Lasher house. Sara and I chatted and ate homemade frozen yogurt... yum! It's so nice to relax at a friend's house while all the kids play nicely together in an adjoining room. Life doesn't get much better than that!

Bella is in bed and I am not too far behind. It's been an extremely hectic and draining week. I wish I could say that I'm happy the weekend is here but that is not the case. Ian has to work and it'll be just Bella and me. Is it November yet?!? Have I mentioned lately that I cannot wait for busy season to be over?!? I just want my husband back and Bella just wants her daddy back... sigh.

Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella

I Hate Crocs

**Disclosure - This is strictly my opinion and if you don't agree (probably because you wear Crocs), I would suggest that you don't read this post. Thank you & have a nice day!** 

When Crocs were introduced many, many years ago, I hated them... plain and simple. They looked like orthopedic shoes and were not fashionable in the least. Fortunately for me, only a minimal amount of my family and friends were Croc fans, but I saw the damn shoes every where!


Clogs made out of foam? Umm, not really my style. Now I know they've introduced other "styles" of Crocs though out the years, but they're still the same, ugly shoe. Not even the Mary Jane style could convince me to buy a pair, let alone try a pair on. I can honestly say that I've never worn a pair of Crocs... and I have no desire to ever do so. And the price they charge for a pair of these ugly shoes? You have got to be kidding me! I'm not going to pay $25 for a pair of the world's ugliest shoes. These shoes seriously belong in an aisle at the dollar store... or better yet, in a land fill.


When I see poor, innocent children wearing Crocs, I feel sorry for them. Not only do I think they look awful on adults, but those big, chunky clogs look absolutely ridiculous on the tiny feet of children! Personally, I think they're probably hazardous to a newly walking child. I can't really imagine my child walking around in a pair of foam clogs and not falling. This walking business is difficult enough, why add an ugly and hazardous shoe to the equation?


I also feel bad when I see grown men wearing Crocs. Did your wife pick out your shoes? Because no straight man, in their right mind should ever choose to wear Crocs. It's especially bad when the Crocs are themed or have those stupid charms on them. Just because you have your Crocs with your NFL team's colors, does not make them any cooler. In fact, you should probably hand over your man-card because 'reppin your team by way of Crocs is just lame. 


I'm definitely a flip flop girl, but not just any flip flops. I've never been a fan of flip flops from Old Navy or Target, because I think those just look and feel cheap. Give me a pair of Reef flip flops and I'm a happy camper. But, I will rock a pair of heels when the occasion arises. As for my husband, I prefer him in flip flops, athletic shoes or dress shoes... but I honestly don't have a preference in what shoes he wears. And as for my daughter, I prefer her in Stride Rites. 


And for the record, I am not alone in my hatred of Crocs. There are websites dedicated to the abomination of these shoes. It feels good to be in good company. Check out this humorous blog: I Hate Crocs. I had a few chuckles and loved the fact that the blog was mentioned on Fox News. I guess Republicans hate Crocs, too?!? Obama probably wears Crocs... eww!


Well, I hope you enjoyed my rant about my hatred of Crocs. I feel like a new woman now that I've come clean about my disdain for these shoes. I'll slip on a pair of comfy flip flops and head on my merry way.


Love always,
Kim


(Ian and Bella had no part in this posting... I just hope they share my hatred of Crocs, too.)

Keeping Busy

It's shaping up to be quite a busy week around here. I think we have plans every day this week and I'm okay with that. When Bella is kept busy alleviates much of the whining she does at home and it wears her out which means better (and longer naps). Keeping busy helps the week go by quickly, which isn't such a bad thing this week.

Yesterday I split the babysitter with my friend Sara and I spent the morning doing laundry and running errands. I also went into a cute, local shop called Gumballs & Overalls and browsed without feeling rushed by Bella. I ended up buying her an adorable pillowcase dress and cloth diapers. I know you're dying to know if we're going cloth and I am happy to report that we are not. I am simply gearing up for potty training and decided to try cloth diapers. I've read that children who are used to disposable diapers respond well to potty training in cloth diapers because they can actually feel the wetness. Bella doesn't like being in a dirty disposable diaper so she sure as heck isn't going to like being in a dirty cloth diaper... or so I think. She has been communicating with us after she has gone potty in her diaper, so we just need her to communicate with us before she goes potty in her diaper. I'm taking a very laid back approach and have a "goal" of having her potty trained by the time she is two-years-old. We shall see...

Today we went with our friends Stephanie and Connor to the zoo. We haven't been to the zoo in awhile and with the kids being back in school, we figured it would be less crowded. And we were right! The zoo was practically empty and it was great! The kids saw their favorite animals, rode on merry-go-round and train and played in the water. It was a fun afternoon and the kids (and moms) were exhausted by the time we left. Hopefully this means a good afternoon nap for Bella... and Connor, too!

The rest of our week is filled with play dates and outings with Grandma Ruth. I'm going to need all the rest I can get to maintain this busy schedule. Speaking of which, I'm going to take advantage of Bella's nap and catch a few winks myself.

Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella

Fantasy Football Woes

I'll preface this by saying that I am not a diehard football fan, although I do LOVE the Baltimore Ravens and I'm pretty into my fantasy football team. But, I haven't always had a football team to root for and I'm relatively new to fantasy football (this being my 4th season). Before we had Bella, we used to go out and watch the games, but now we just sit at home and watch the NFL Redzone on Sunday afternoons. Some women might find it boring, but I enjoy it. I get to spend time with my family, I get to relax and I can do all this from the comfort of my family room. 


About 20 minutes before the 1pm games were to begin, I was frantically researching several of my players on my fantasy football team. Three (yes, THREE) of my best players were listed as questionable, which in fantasy football jargon is not a good thing. I was looking at espn.com, yahoosports.com and watching pre-game shows in order to figure out what to do. With only moments to spare and after consulting various sources (including my husband) I decided to sit out TWO of my questionable players. 


Right before the 1pm games, Santonio Holmes was listed as active for the Jets and would be starting in today's game. Okay, great... add him to my starting line up. Too bad he was a one-hit wonder today and only got one touchdown. He should have sat out today and waited until next week to actually have a decent game. His team had a stellar game and I think he was just resting, but come on! Mama needs some points! I know, I know... I shouldn't complain, but I'm so competitive when it comes to fantasy football. 


I benched Hakeem Nicks of the Giants because I couldn't bank on not starting someone on Sunday. Stupid Monday Night Football! Why couldn't Nicks amend his status prior to the 1pm games today? Sources say that he "thinks he's going to play" but what the hell is that supposed to mean? I mean geez, I think I'm going to win the lottery when I buy a lottery ticket, but it's no guaranteed that I will win (and no, I don't really play the lottery). I need more confirmation than he "thinks he's going to play." He's not a doctor, he's a football player. Have fun sitting on my bench buddy... and your happy butt better be sitting on the Giants' bench tomorrow night, too.


I also benched Steven Jackson of the Rams for the same exact reason I benched Nicks. Although Jackson never commented as to whether or he "thinks he's going to play", there was very little information as to whether or not he would play. Gee thanks for the lack of information. Jackson better be playing "Words with Friends" with Nicks while sitting his happy butt on the Rams' bench. 


Not to mention my opponent for the week is have an AWESOME week. I'm not joking when I say that my friend Kat is crushing it this week. She has Adrian Peterson, who played against the Bucs today... need I say more? Peterson alone is a rock star running back and playing against the Bucs is like child's play for him. It was really sad to watch the points roll in for Peterson. And, to make matters worse, the Bucs squeaked out a win. She also has Fred Jackson who blew up this week. I almost cried.  


And to top it all off, the Ravens failed to show up today. They lost an ugly game of football and the NFL Redzone didn't even have much coverage because the game was so boring. I hate it when my team loses and I especially hate it when my fantasy football team loses. It was a terrible week of football (in my opinion). As I'm typing, we're watching the Sunday night game and Michael Vick (my QB) has turned the ball over two three times and DeSean Jackson might be injured. And to add insult t injury, Tony Gonzalez (who is sitting on my bench because he's usually so-so) has TWO TOUCHDOWNS! Are you kidding me?!? Great... grand... wonderful. Oh well, there's always next week!


Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella

Saturday = Family Day!

After many weekends of Ian having to work the majority of the weekend, I think we may finally have a Saturday for family time. Between traveling and Ian's hectic work schedule, I don't think we've had a Saturday for ourselves since July. It sounds awful, I know. Ian has a 10am conference call and Bella is taking her morning nap. Once Bella is up from her nap, I think we'll head out and do something fun... as a family.


We have season passes to practically everything within a 100 mile radius of Tampa, so the big decision of the day will be... zoo? aquarium? Busch Gardens? Sea World? Disney World? The options are endless, but we'll obviously need to narrow our options down. The zoo is hosting an event with Fisher Price and so it would literally be a zoo over there. The aquarium will probably be filled with people avoiding the zoo. We've all been to Busch Gardens more times than we can count. We'll be heading up to Disney World in a few weeks because we'll have friends in town. Hmm... that leaves Sea World. We haven't been to Sea World in awhile, so maybe we'll head up to Orlando for the afternoon. 


I'm feeling pretty ambitious today and I hope my energy lasts. Not to mention it's supposed to be about 90 degrees and sunny today. I think as long as we lather up in sunscreen and drink plenty of water, we should be just fine. Unfortunately, the sun and heat are a necessary evil in Florida, but it's worth it. While we may be sweating our butts off today, in another two months, we'll be enjoying 70 degree days and laughing at all the suckers up north, who are freezing their butts off. Who has the last laugh now?!? 


Well, I'd better start packing for our day of fun. Ian will be finished with his conference call soon and Bella will be up in about 2 hours. I hope everyone has a great Saturday! 


Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella

Play Date Thursdays

After almost an entire month of having to miss our weekly play dates, I am thankful to say that Bella and I are officially back in the play date circuit! Play dates are beneficial not only for the little ones, but also for us moms. The kids play together, we all eat lunch and catch up on girl talk. The group of friends I have are a very laid back group and play dates are usually a very relaxing thing. 


Last week we headed to my friend Sara's house in Apollo Beach so that Bella could play with her friends. Sara's son, Logan, is actually the youngest little one in the group. Most of the kids were born in March-May 2010, with the exception of Lily who was born in January 2010 and Logan who was born in July 2010. The kids generally all get along, despite some recent issues with hair pulling, biting and hitting. I am happy to admit that Bella has not been one of the aggressors... thank goodness! 


Today, Bella and I hosted a play date at our house. We made lunch for our friends... some yummy pasta with pesto sauce and garlic bread. Bella spent the afternoon playing with her friends and I spent the afternoon talking with my friends. The girls and kids stayed until almost 3pm, until meltdowns began and nap time was upon us. Next week we head to Fishhawk for a play date with Amanda and Layla.


After the crazy week I've had with Bella, this play date was definitely needed. As I've mentioned in previous posts, Bella has been testing her limits recently and it's been testing my patience! She has been whining instead of using her words, which really plucks my nerves. She has also been quite defiant and often refuses to follow directions. I know it's just a phase and she's coming into her own, but I am so ready to have my sweet and obedient Bella back! 


Well, it's been a long day and Ian is actually home at a decent hour. He went into the office today due to the fact that it would be impossible to work from home with 6 toddlers running around. I'm glad he's home and Bella is definitely glad to have him home.  He said he has 3-4 hours of work ahead of him tonight, but at least he is here! I was planning on serving leftovers, but Ian surprised us with dinner from the Acropolis. Yum!


Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella

"I get by with a little help from my friends..."

Everybody needs a little time to themselves, even stay-at-home-moms. For most SAHM, this comes in the form of nap time, but not this SAHM... after I had Bella, I quickly learned that it's more than okay to leave your child with a responsible caregiver, whom is usually paid handsomely, otherwise known as a babysitter. 


I originally hired a babysitter who used to come to our house once a week for about 4-hours. Then I increased this time when I began splitting a babysitter with my friend. For awhile there, I had so much time to myself and I didn't have enough to do. I was always caught up on housework, errands and my DVR; it was great. It almost got to be too much time, so I went back 4-hours a week. With all of our traveling, Bella hasn't been left with a babysitter in over a month. And I desperately need those 4-hours these week. Normally my friend Sara and I split a babysitter on Mondays, but Sara and her family were out of town so we rescheduled for tomorrow. 


On a day that I could have really used some time for myself, I had very little. The very little time I did have for myself was given to me by Ian in the form of a quick trip to Target. He had to return something, so he offered to take Bella with him and I gladly accepted his very generous offer. For an entire hour, the house was quiet with the exception of the vacuum cleaner downstairs, which was being run by the housekeeper. 


Yes, I'll admit it (and I'm not ashamed)... I hired a housekeeper to assist me in keeping our house tidy and clean. I think I convinced Ian that bi-weekly would be best, but it's something that is still being negotiated. I wouldn't have even considered hiring a housekeeper, but housework is something that has been placed on the back burner recently. Here is the reasoning behind our decision... Ian has been working A LOT, even on the weekends and his travel schedule is about to get crazy. Bella has been super active lately and I'd rather spend time with her than cleaning.  So we decided to hire someone to do our dirty work (literally). It was so nice to have a clean house after a hectic day of chasing Bella around. 


So yes, this SAHM has a weekly babysitter and a (possibly) bi-weekly housekeeper... so sue me. I honestly wouldn't be able to get by without a little help from my "friends". Throughout much of my life, I've been afraid to ask for help, even when I've really needed it. As I've gotten older and wiser, I've learned that it's okay to ask for help. It's nothing to be ashamed of and it's something I am very thankful for. 


Well, I'm exhausted after a very long day with Bella, so it's bedtime for the SAHM... goodnight! 


Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella

Remembering September 11th

Like most Americans, September 11, 2001 is a day that is forever etched into my mind. Here is what I remember most about that day. The weather that day was exceptional. The skies were blue and the sun was shining down. It was an absolutely beautiful day and that is something I will never forget. How could such a tragedy occur on such a beautiful day? The feelings of hopelessness, fear and sadness were overwhelming. Remembering that day brings back all of those overwhelming feelings, even ten years later. 


Things were different. The world changed that day. 


To all those who lost their lives that day, your lives will never be forgotten. To those who sacrificed their lives to protect the lives of others, you heroic deeds will never be forgotten. We will never forget... September 11, 2001.


Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella

Rainy Day Fun

It was P-O-U-R-I-N-G this morning and I learned that Bella loves the rain. I went outside to move a few things around and she followed me outside. I don't think she realized it was raining at first, but once she began getting wet, she started giggling and shrieking. She "helped" me move the patio furniture so that the rain could give it a good rinse. After we had moved the patio furniture, she ran around the lanai and played in the rain. Who knew playing in the rain could be so much fun?!?


Here are a few pictures from our little rainy day adventure:

Helping Mommy move patio furniture.

She discovered the doggie door.

Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella

Labor Day

Doesn't it seem a little ironic that one would have to work on Labor Day? Apparently not in the world of public accounting! Ian went into the office today because of a looming deadline and tons of work to do. Being a widow during business season comes with the territory, but I keep reminding myself, it'll be over soon enough. Luckily, Ian gets to take advantage of the two days worth of holidays and can use the two days as floating holidays. November cannot get here quick enough! We're planning a stay-cation and we're looking forward to well deserved rest and relaxation. 


It's been awhile since it's just been Bella and me at home, but we didn't miss a beat. We watched "The Wiggles" in the morning and played with every, single toy in the family room. I guess Bella missed her toys and is making up for lost time. Oh, and this child LOVES to climb and I HATE that she loves it so much. She'll climb up on the couch, pester the dogs for a few minutes and climb back down. She'll climb OVER her cruise-and-crawl jungle, rather than walk around it. And, she'll climb on her activity table, rather than play with it. I see a jungle gym in our future and possibly some Gymboree. 


We ran a few errands after Bella's morning nap and I forgot how hot it can be in Florida. I was really enjoying the cool, breezy weather in Maryland and I cannot wait for cooler weather to arrive. Although it's September, it's still about 90 degrees here during the day. It's not nearly as humid, which is nice, but I could really use some fall-like weather. Disney World, the zoo and Busch Gardens will be much more enjoyable in cooler weather. 


Well, that's all I have to say for today. We're off to meet some friends for dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Sabor a Mexico... yum. Happy Labor Day! Or if you're Ian, just another ordinary day! =)


Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella

Barefoot Designs

About a month ago, I stumbled on yet another website for adorable, custom made clothing for kids. At the recommendation of Jerica from Izzy B Designs, I was introduced to Amy at Barefoot Designs. I browsed through her patterns and fabrics, and instantly fell in love. I quickly went to work designing outfits for Bella and before I knew it, I had designed three outfits for Bella.

Criss-Cross Bubble in pink and blue paisley fabric with matching pink trim.

Back of Criss-Cross Bubble

Ruffle Bottom Sunsuit in purple & teal swirl fabric with matching purple trim.

Back of Ruffle Bottom Sunsuit

Ruffle Top & Bloomers - Halloween Outfit 

Back of Halloween outfit

                                                 
How adorable are these outfits?!? Living in Florida means we get to extend summer outfits well into the fall, so I know these outfits will be worn several times. I even opted to have her initial embroidered on the Halloween outfit in hopes that she can wear it in the spring at a Orioles v. Rays game... and yes, Bella will be cheering for the Orioles! 


But if you're looking for quality, custom made outfits for your kids, be sure to check out Barefoot Designs. And please don't forget about Izzy B Designs either! =)


Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella

So little time, so much to do!

After being away from Grandma Ruth for over two weeks, we dropped Bella off at her beloved grandma's house this afternoon for a few days. Neither rush hour traffic nor a near monsoon could keep us from reaching our destination. Bella is currently at Grandma Ruth's until Saturday and I am creating an endless list of things to do in my head. 


Unfortunately, I will be going at it alone, as Ian is working 20 hour days (no joke). Last week, by Tuesday, he had about 42 hours of work under his belt. I mean seriously, who works 21 hour days? Apparently my husband and his co-workers who are also on this project with him. He worked ALL weekend, with the exception of maybe 6 hours on Saturday while we were at a wedding. He will also be working this weekend and on Labor Day. I think he's been averaging about 3-4 hours of sleep a night and repeats this on a daily basis. He works hard and is doing an awesome job on this project, according to the managing partner. 


I need to unpack and organize all of our clothes, well at least my clothes and Bella's clothes. I need to go through two weeks worth of mail and organize the insane amount of mail we received while we were gone. I need to clean the house because it hasn't been done in over two weeks. And I need to clone myself to get it all done. As much as I hate packing for a trip, I really hate unpacking from a trip. Thankfully, Ian is actually going to take care of all of the outdoor chores, prior to working on Saturday. Our yard literally looks like a jungle after not being cut for almost 3 weeks.


So little time, so much to do! I'd better take advantage of having a few Bella-free days and get to work. I'd much rather lay on the couch and catch up with my DVR, but this stuff isn't going to take care of itself. So until all my chores are finished... adios!


Love always,
Ian, Kim & Bella