DOODLEBUGS!

My dear friend Kristina just opened her dream store/ kids art studio in Louisville.

It's called DOODLEBUGS!

I'm so proud of her. It's every bit as cute and magical as I thought it'd be.

Mimi, Bode and I just visited it for the first time last week.

When I stepped foot in there for the first time I thought of all my cute, artistic friends who would love Doodlebugs as much as I would.

Here are some fuzzy cell pics.

They have drop-in free art time for kids (which I will be helping a bit with...Kristina's asked me to help develop a few of the changing art centers-a job I can do from home! Something to fill that art/teaching void!) as well as art classes for kids and some pinot and picasso painting nights for adults.

But, I have to say, my favorite is their cute retail. I feel like I'm always looking for fun, different gifts and cards for kids and friends that have a "boutique-y" feel. I felt like Louisville was definitely lacking in that area. Doodlebugs has some really cute stuff. I've vowed to only buy kid/friends' presents there.

(Now I really hoped I haven't talked it up too much! But I think it's great :)

Mimi doing some "drop in art"

Look at those cute kid tables (if you look closely the tops underneath the paper are all painted cute colors). And I love the little easels on the tables too...

The famous "Ms. Tina" (I taught her son Aidan in kindergarten...I actually "claimed" him the first time I saw him and made sure that I got him in my class. Now he's in FOURTH grade! Tina also watched Mimi when I went back to school)

These are little kits of supplies and instruction for kids to mimic different artists' styles...

brilliant!

The Doodlebug ladies! 

Heather and Kristina

xoxo

So excited for Doodlebugs to grow! Go check them out!

SCHOOL!

Mimi is starting PRESCHOOL! 

Even though it's preschool and not kindergarten, it feels just the same and just as big! We still shopped for school supplies, went to Back To School Night and have her lunchbox ready to go (with her name in sharpie marker on the side of course!)

When we went to Back To School Night I was giddy with excitement...and so was Mimi. While I was teaching kindergarten, I couldn't wait to be on the other side of the door. This was it. How funny to be the PARENT in the Back to School Night crowd. I heard about FIELD TRIPS and BOOK ORDERS and all of that good stuff, as Mimi played outside with the other kids.

When we woke up the next morning after Back to School Night, Mimi said, "so mom, what time do I go to my school?" I had to tell her that the first day wasn't for a week... She was bummed.

But, then the "first day jitters" hit.. 
She sort of lost it on Saturday. Poor girl. I've never really heard her express her fears like she did-I'm not sure if we've just read "Berenstain Bears Go To School" too much and she was borrowing that story line, or she really was apprehensive about starting, but either way, it kind of broke my heart a little. There have been so many adjustments going on around here...I'm sure it was all just catching up with her.


But, I knew that she'd be fine. 


...and today came, and she did great!

Armed with her "sensible school/play" outfit ( I had basically read her the riot act about wearing good clothes to play in and sneakers, afraid that she would pick her silkiest dress and sparkle shoes to wear. We didn't want to be that family! First impressions matter ;) So we picked out a tank top and leggings. But the next morning, I thought about the big-ness of the day...it was the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! Maybe she should spruce it up a bit..? But after my lecture the night before, she wouldn't have it. No dress for her! I think she was comfy and cool and that's really all that mattered! Heck, I even was allowed to pull her hair back a little-but no bow. I didn't want to push my luck).

More cheesy mom pictures...

Bode and I walked her in, made friends with another couple who had a one week old baby, shared incoherent conversation with them due to our glazed-over sleep-deprived state (at one point, she couldn't remember her little girl's name and I called Mimi a boy. Yikes. We really shouldn't be allowed on the road), and dropped Mimi off.


I was glad she was back to her old, social self when she said, "I want to play by myself Mommy." We kissed and were out the door! YAY!


Way to go Mimi! Pats on the back all around.
(Today was a short day, Thursday she will be there the full amount and Ben will come to drop her off too)


AND, check out this cute lunchbox! Thanks Nan and Rodger!

Splish Splash

I love giving this boy a bath

(mostly because I feel like he really needs it most times!)

...and the yummy, baby-smelling head is a nice perk afterwards.

Thanks for passing down your bathtub to me, Sissy!

(Mimi at one month)

LOUD

Here's a small video to capture the many noise of Bode Turrill:


(Dont forget to hit pause on the music player to the right)

That was the "waking up" grunt. There's also the "getting my diaper changed grunt" as well as the "eating" a.k.a. "Hungry Hungry Hippo grunt." (Ben also reminded me that there's the "Getting Picked Up" grunt too...I'm sure you'd love video of all of these, but I think you get the idea...

Announcing...

BODE ROBERT TURRILL

We are so happy that he's here!


AND, here's a little shout out to an excited big sister:

(old news I know, but had to share the announcement!)

And, I just thought that this was HILARIOUS. I ran across it in a new mommy email from babycenter.com.

Had to share:

What to put on a birth announcement:

• The birth date.
• The baby's weight.
• The baby's "length." (Yes, this is the same as "height." No, we don't know why it's called "length.") 


*** AND****
• Chocolaty smudges from the three full-size candy bars you ate while you were sitting on your little doughnut pillow thingy and addressing envelopes.
• Your own weight is not a conventional addition. Nor is the number of nursing pads you've soaked through in one day
• "This is our baby. We're so tired," is not an acceptable message. Be sure to include one or all of the following words: "joy," "blessing," and "miracle."

Pride Comes Before the Sleep Depravation

After a few consecutive rough nights with no sleep, I went to the mailbox to find this perfect card from my sweet friend Angela...


I literally melted into a big puddle of tears right there on the spot.


Because not sleeping is really hard.


Actually, what's hard is putting your head down on the pillow at 11:00 pm and hearing a hungry, crying baby at 11:15.


Or rocking that baby to sleep, laying your head back on that said pillow and hearing him stir JUST as you drift off to sleep.


So Ang, thanks for knowing that we're in the trenches over here and sending your love and support!


It's not that Bode is a hard baby at all. Like my mom helped me vocalize, he's easy to console. It's just that he eats A LOT. And isn't the most patient at night to go without it. And,  he's such a frantic eater that I think he takes in a lot of air-hence the waking up at night with a bubbly tummy. But, I think he's pretty normal as newborns go.


When Mimi was a newborn I had prepared myself to be miserable, and was actually pleasantly surprised. I think that she gave us chunks of sleep in a row and it wasn't as bad as I had expected! PLUS, I didn't have any other kiddos to be with in the morning...just her. Hence, I thought that people were being dramatic about newborns and the lack of sleep. Now I'm living it. Just another reminder not to judge anyone else's situation, because everyone's circumstances are different. But, I am well aware that this is just a phase, and I really am thankful to go through it-it means that our little baby boy is here with us. This too will pass (then I'm sure I will be weepy that he is so big)... ;)

Evidence that both of these kids really do sleep (sometimes ;)

This is BOTH babies,  laying on the sweet blankets made by Great Grandma Morning Pat
(who's coming to visit in a few weeks!!!!)

Numbers

Here is our life in numbers

-Number of diapers changed a day: 12

-Number of cartoons watched by Mimi: too embarrassed to admit...

-Number of times I think about how great it'd be if Starbucks delivered: 5

-Number of times a week the UPS man stops at our house to bring fun baby gifts for Bode: 3

-Number of times a week I've been showering: if I told you, you may not want to be my friend anymore!

-Number of times up a night: 3-4

-Number of kisses planted on Bode's squishy little face: 1,000,001

-Number of times I feel so overwhelmingly thankful for our crazy little life: too many to count

 (but only when I have enough time to catch my breath... ;)

Happy Birthday Mimi!

THIS GIRL TURNED THREE THIS WEEKEND!!! :)

First, we started with all the preparations:

I almost wrote a post entitled: "Hi, my name is mackenzie and i'm addicted to overdoing things."

Because I cut out circles of printed notebook paper and cardstock for favors and cupcake flags...

...and typed up instructions for the wiki stick favors for the kids:

But then I thought, "I'm not doing all of that out of some compulsion or desire to impress anyone. it's what I enjoy. I like having projects to do that involve paper and printing and party favors and crafts!" And, in the midst of just staying in my pjs and being an on call dairy, it's nice to have something else going on! (confession: one night after being up at 2 am to feed Bode, I wanted to go down and work on these! There's something about a quiet house and a sleeping family that makes me want to pull out the glue stick! ;)

So I did all that. And loved it :)

But enough about that! 

Back to the birthday girl :)

We started our morning...

 Bode wanted to look nice for his sissy's bday...

(This is why we have more pictures of Bode on Mimi's birthday morning):

We had Mimi's party at BOUNCE! A kids' paradise filled with bouncy castles galore! 

We must officially have a "kid"...no more birthday parties that are more about the adults ;)

We toted in our cupcakes, fruit and banana bread (with our Starbucks coffee traveler!) and party favors and waited for our friends.

(and made sure brother was happy with a paci! Mimi prides herself on her paci-giving skills)

Then the friends started filing in!

Mimi loves her boys! Aidan and Finn xoxo

Aunt Karen and Sarah meeting Bode for the first time!

Cute Elin :)

BFFs Kira and Gentry

Rachel and Cameron!

Kristina :)

Fritz, Molly and Laura

Finn, reading Mimi his card to her:

Oma and Bodes

Ben and Brent

Aunt Kate, Karen and Uncle Drew

Right before Mimi blew out her candles she fell :( Poor girl! But she rallied!

Sam!

PRESENTS!

Nana xox

Rodger!

...one tired party girl!

After the party we went to Nana and Rodger's with Oma and BT for a little lunch and relaxation :) Then it was home. Mimi sat in the living room and played with all of her treasures for hours. It was sweet to watch! Everyone knows her so well! She was in HEAVEN!

Happy Birthday Little Mims!