Goose's First Swim (147:365)

Me and the little ladies went swimming today.

Dee is a fish. She's taken a swimming survival type class

(see here) and can just kick around and jump off the edge just fine. Sometimes her lack of fear is scary, but I'm so glad she loves the water.

It was Goose's first time ever.

She clung to me like a baby monkey for the first 

10 minutes (which was adorable!).

Then I started saying, "Ready, go!", and then 

dunking us to our shoulders.

She started to smile a bit.

Then I crossed the pool, back and forth, laying her on her back, kind of swaying her side to side. She kept one little bug-feeler leg up in the air for a while, then eventually relaxed and just enjoyed gliding around on her back. 

It was so cute!

Hopefully she'll turn out to be a little fish 

just like her big sister.

Then, while we were showering off, she kept poking Dee in the belly button. She'd take her right pointer and zoom it into Dee's button with a totally straight face, like she was a serious belly button scientist, while Dee and I just laughed and laughed because 

it was so strange.

I've got me a couple of goof balls. 

I sure love my babies!


BTW - Don't forget about the Holiday Craft Fair tomorrow (Thursday) from 5pm - 9pm at Scott Middle School. Hope to see you there!

Etsy and aprikot designs Blog (146:365)

If anyone is interested, I do have some things in my etsy shop ready to view and purchase!

That's what I did at 1am this morning, create a cute banner for my shop and aprikot designs blog and get some more things up for viewing and purchase in etsy.

Here is the link to my shop:

aprikotdesigns.etsy.com

And here is the link to the blog:

aprikotdesigns.blogspot.com

If you happen to want something that isn't in my etsy shop yet, just send me a message and I'll make it for you!

And don't forget that I'll be at the Scott Middle School Holiday Craft Show this Thursday from 4-9pm. Hope to see you there!

Getting the Word Out (145:365)

The Nie Nie Dialogues had a call for homemade Christmas gifts and I decided to send her some of my stuff hoping she will like it enough to share it on her blog!

Here are all of the things I sent (it is a huge opportunity!), hoping that she'll find something that she'll love enough to want to share it with all her readers.

Wish me luck!

My Latest Favorites


I've got another craft show coming up at Scott Middle School this Thursday from 4-9 pm.
Come check out my booth and see the cute stuff my friends make too! From children's super hero capes, to beautiful hair flower clips, to baby headbands and cute beanies, you are likely to find something for all the ladies on your holiday list!

Cheese is Life (138:365)

Went to visit some friends today and afterward we all had a mom and kid lunch at Godfather's Pizza.

I told Scott and he made me smuggle him some pizza in my purse.

I know.

Anyway, while eating we decided that "cheese is life". 

Why? 

Because it is the perfect snack.

Because it goes with almost anything.

Because it is salty or creamy and delicious.

Why not?

Ask Scott why not.

He's lame about cheese.

Missing out on one of the wonders of the world. That's what I say.

First Drum Circle (136:365)

Dee participated in her first drum circle.

Okay, it was really some kid music man at baby gap, but he had 5 buckets with sticks for drumming and she and other kiddos banged away, so I'm counting it as her first drum circle.

It was really cute. 

She outlasted all the other kids and made the guy go into overtime.

I love having little musicians around here.

Music makes me happy.

BTW, if you don't listen to pandora.com you MUST!

It is the ONLY radio I listen to.

Just type in your favorite song or artist and it will customize a radio station for you.

And yes, it's free. 

Wouldn't do it if it wasn't, yo.

(My 2 favorite "stations" are "Peter Bjorn and John" and "Lykke Li". "Jingle Bells" is also awesome cause it's just old school x-mas jams.)

P.S. I guess I don't really know what goes on in "real" drum circles because scott was a little embarrassed by the title of this post. I thought people just played drums in drum circles. That's what they do in kiddo ones.

Black Friday (135:365)

Black Friday has become a tradition in our family.

Before I'd met Scott, I didn't even know it existed. 

This year was our 6th year or binge shopping.

It was my first year of visiting the Gap.

50% off everything! 

Luckily, my honey was able to come with me and hold the spoils in line while I picked up more things. A lady in line behind him kept complaining out loud about it, but she was just jealous her husband wouldn't come shopping with her at 1am like mine did. 

He's a keeper!

It sure is bizarre to bump into a friend at 1am at the Gap. It made the madness more fun!

After that, we realized we could buy most of the DVD's we wanted from Amazon for the same price as the crazy stores, and did just that.

Then, at 3:15am I braved Target alone to get a couple of things for myself and Jane.

And at 11:30am I got my sister to come to Old Navy with me to scope out those sweet deals.

We survived Black Friday 2010 injury free and now need to filter through stuff and make returns tomorrow.

There are always hasty purchases that must go back to their place of rest.

Anyone else indulge in Black Friday that has a tale to tell?

Turkey Day (134:365)

Today was a busy day.

First off, I ran my first race today. I was the middle leg in a 5k Turkey Trot relay. I ran with my friend Sara F. and my sister Sarah. We were team Saucy Cranberries and made hats and a sweet baton.

Not surprisingly we didn't win the race, but we had a very respectable time, which I will commend the Sara/h's on because I was SLOW. Sadly, we also did not win the costume contest or creative baton contest like I feel we should have because we (by we I mean Sara F.) were cute.

While we were running, Scott put the turkey in all by himself.

Yes, you read that right. He did it alone and it turned out great! I just may delegate that task from now on.

Then we went to a Pie Party in the morning at a friend's house because "you are too full to eat pie after dinner" so we ate it for breakfast instead. I thought it was a genius idea!

Then we had our friends Sai and Kyle over for dinner, which was really fun. We ate at noon which I plan on doing from now on because we've been noshing on leftovers all day!

What did you do, on this great day of feasting?

By the way, are any of you crazy like us and tackling the Black Friday madness?

Dinner, Old Friends and Sleep (130:365)

We had my favorite dinner tonight from one of my favorite cookbooks, BGH Cookbook.

Polenta Beef Stew.

Yum.

Super rich beef stew with rosemary.

Pour it on top of some warm and creamy polenta.

With a side of Rosemary dinner rolls that my sister whipped up for us.

Wish I could have dinner twice tonight.

I also went with a friend to visit a couple of old friends that I have missed.

And sleep.

One of my favorite pastimes. 

I am lacking in that department.

Goose is not though. 

She set a personal sleep-in record this morning.

10:15am.

Now, she did wake up at 4:30 am for a while, but I think she was having some #2 issues.

Then she slept soundly until 10:15!

I didn't wake her earlier because we had church at 11 am and she then doesn't get to nap until 2:30 pm.

What a sweetie.

I am a lucky mom.

Losin' It At Michael's (127:365)

So, I went to Michael's today to get some stuff for the bazaar and was feeling good. We all got colds this week at our house, but nothing serious was going around.

This lady in front of me at the register was buying about 300 seed bead packages (no, I'm not exaggerating) and was taking forever. I started to feel a little weak while waiting but thought maybe I was just hungry or something. 

Then we got another cashier, and I was in line right behind a little old lady that needed a price check. As this was happening I started to feel hot and shaky. Then came my turn at the register. As the lady was ringing me up, I started to think I was going to lose it right there. The second she finished my stuff, I ran outside with my cart and heaved my guts out into the trash can right in front of the store for 5 minutes while around 20 people walked by.

That is one first time experience that I could do without. 

That is one thing about mom-dom that people don't tell you about - you still have to be a mom even when you are so sick you want to curl up into a ball and hug the porcelain thrown all day. 

Luckily my mom is in town so she's been a huge help with the girls.

I'm feeling better tonight though, so HOPEFULLY I will be back to my old self in time for the bazaar.

I have also began packaging my products and they look so good!

I'm really excited about how it is all going.

P.S. No, I am NOT pregnant, nor are you the first to ask today.

My First Baby Booties (122:365)

I have a baby shower today and needed something quick 

and easy to make.

I've never made these before, but decided to take a chance on them.

I think they turned pretty well.

So cute! And easy. Here is the free tut.

Thanks HomeSpun Threads!

First Snow of the Winter (121:365)

Today we all traveled out to Omaha (the big city 'round these parts) and went to the grand opening of the nearest Trader Joe's! It was great. I got a bunch of my favorite stuff, like almond meal (for baking), their amazing (and cheap!) kettle corn, and their peanut butter.

It was kind of a mad house, but fun anyway (for me at least).

Then, on the way home, we braved a little blizzard, facing snowflakes the size of ritz crackers. I got too dizzy trying to dry so luckily Scott was able to take over.

Neither of us had any idea it was supposed to snow. If we had, we would not had been brave enough to face it. Not yet. Winter isn't due yet, right?

Goosey's First Croup, So Sad... (108:365)

Baby #2 is so sad today.

She caught Dee's cough and totally has croup.

She is just miserable and super clingy.

A sick baby is the saddest thing.

Hopefully she'll be able to sleep tonight and breath better soon.

Lucy's First Boo at the Zoo, Rosettes and my Halloween costume (105:365)

Our local zoo does a fun "Boo at the Zoo" every year where you trick or treat around the zoo at booths that local vendors set up. It's really fun! You even get to see whatever animals can handle the cold (it was like 35 F last night!), which were just Santa's Reindeer and 5 penguins.

Goose got many awwww's, and Dee did too, both being the cutest little kitties.

We had fun with some friends too. Thanks for meeting up with us!

I've also been working on some rosettes that I will be selling at a local craft fair next month. Boy, I am feeling overwhelmed by it and I am barely doing anything. Probably just because it is my first time selling anything.

And I am working on my Halloween costume.

I'm going to be a witch.

I got this awesomely bad huge black shiny shirt at Goodwill for $0.99 and I'm making it smaller and uglier for my costume. I want to make the bottom jagged, but the fabric frays like crazy! I think melting the edges will solve that though.

Dee's First Jack-O-Lantern (104:365)

My First Balloon Arch (101:365)

Today the youth at our church are doing what we call a "Roadshow" and I got to get up at 6:30am to practice. My favorite. I LOOOVE the mornings, when they are dark and cold, and my eyes feel like sandpaper.

To help out after the practice, I learned how to make a balloon arch.

A skill that will help me in all my future party planning years.

I'm feeling a bit jumpy after all those

balloons popping in my ears.

Charcoal-ate Chip Cookies (100:365)

In honor of my 100th post, I thought I'd burn my first batch of cookies today.

Yes, I've burned cookies before, but never to the point of them being inedible.

I guess that's what happens when you bake while taking a shower.

Update: I burned the second batch too.
That is what happens when you bake following the "pan cookies" time and not the regular cookie time, which is exactly 1/2 the "pan cookies" amount because you were too lazy to pull the directions back out all the way and just visually latched onto the first numbers you saw.
Brilliant.

Gooses's First Successful Use of a Straw (96:365)

I don't know if this is normal, but I feel like bragging that my 9 month old can use a straw.

On the airplane, she drank Dee's apple juice with a straw. 

It was ridiculously cute.

Paletas (95:365)

Have you ever tried a Paleta?

I am a timid experimenter of foreign ice cream.

I didn't have much luck with the Brazilian type.

Didn't have much luck in the Czech Republic.

Apparently Mexico didn't get the "bad foreign ice cream maker" memo.

Thank goodness.

Today we tried some of these delicious and creamy concoctions of gastronomical delight.

Mango was my flavor. It was creamy and sweet with a hint of tartness.

I could have used a little more tartness, but overall, it was delicious.

Scott tried a flavor not listed on their website, perhaps a vintage flavor?

Piña colada was his muse. It was better than I thought it would be. Perhaps even better than the Mango. Goose sure liked it!

Have you ever tried the Mamey flavor? I am dying to know what it tastes like.

This is a mamey according to Mr. Wiki,

"The fruit's flavor is variously described as a combination of pumpkin, sweet potato, and maraschino cherries with the texture of an avocado. Some consider the fruit to be an aphrodisiac."

Sounds delightful.

Goose's First Talent Show (94:365)

She showed off her amazing clapping skills.

And her talent for shaking her head no.

APPLAUSE!

Goose's First Family Reunion (93:365)

19 grandkids.

10 mommies and daddies.

2 grandparents.

1 cabin.

Good times.

Yeah, we went a little bonkers.