I tinkled in my potty!

Yeah... I'm cool. Much cooler than mommy tinkling on her skirt. I did it in my potty for the first time! Mom and dad were way excited for me. What do you think about that?

I just peed on my skirt!

Yep, exactly what I said. I rushed in the house after holding it quite a while. Took Gracie up to bed, changed her diaper and sat down on the toilet. Next thing I hear is not the usual rush of waters on the porcelain but more like cloth absorption. And I look down in the toilet and there is the back of my skirt soaking up my pee! Aaaaaaaargh!

I have officially had an embarrassing bathroom mistake. I am just glad I wasn't at work or school or a job interview or on a date, etc. That would have been sooooo bad!

Now I am wondering if it would have happened during one of those times, what would I have done? What would you have done?

I need to know so I will know what to do if it happens again. bah hah hah!

No longer a boy... Pigtails! Talent agency eat your heart out!

I CAN'T think of the last time Gracie got called a BOY. And that is a super good thing! I tried not to be sensitive about it. She got called a boy despite her dress and pink clothes and earrings. Without a headband on people see a little hair and light so you can't see it and they think boy. That is why I have always been so adamant about her wearing a headband and flower.
People always asks me how she keeps them on. Well I say-- she has been wearing them since she was a baby so it's like she doesn't know that it's not a part of her head and she knows I will put it right back on if she does take it off. (Dad on the other hand helps her take them off!)

But I am happy to say that for at least a month or two now we have been making some very cute PIGTAILS on top, and in back! And now she actually gets BEDHEAD and
we have to use a COMB! Get out of town. I have never loved using a comb/brush so much! And I can't stop putting my fingers through her hair.
We went on a bike ride yesterday and she got called the cutest little girl by people in the post office, people that were feeding ducks, and people by the swings and slides. I LOVED IT!
There was no hesitation about WHAT she was and people just gushed over her. And in the post office she even had a bike helmet on!! Wahoo! (she rode on my bike not this one)
And now for the feather in her cap and mine (a little bragging that doesn't mean much because I am sure they talked to every child in Walmart that day but it still made me feel good, vain I know!):

A TALENT SCOUT from the Tru Talent Agency stopped me in Walmart on the sewing isle and said that Gracie was just what they were looking for, and especially for the JCPENNEY CATALOG shoot that week. She had the cutest blonde hair and blue eyes and personality. He said that modeling would be a perfect start for her for the rest of her life to be in entertainment/acting/ and advertising. I went away very FLATTEREDof course! When they called me the next day to set up an appointment downtown and a picture shoot, I decided NOT too (thanks to my first instinct and others' input). Although it might be fun a few times, I think it probably is a SCAM to get my MONEY... build me and her potential up and then make me pay for pictures and a portfolio like they do for hundreds of other cute children. There are LOTS of cute kids to prey on and everyone thinks their child is the cutest.
And even if it wasn't a scam, Luke and I decided that this was NOT the kind of LIFESTYLE that we want Gracie to grow up in. I think it would be hard to grow up knowing that you are a model and being told you are cuter or better than everyone else. All she needs to know is that her parents think she is the CUTEST girl in the world, WE LOVE HER, and she is a CHILD OF GOD. That should do her well enough. Talent Agency: EAT YOUR HEART OUT!!!

Clothing Make-overs!

Trying on Luke's jeans after I patched them. YEP! Gracie fit too. And Luke is so tall they went up to my bustline and were still slouchy. Luke didn't think it was very funny. Actually both Luke and I are the skinniest that we have been for years. It feels good.
I sewed "LUKE" over the "NY" shirt I had but never wore. And stitched around the vinyl heart to make it match. I added little bows on the sleeves too. And then I wore it too a couple's Valentine's Party. It was a hit. Now Luke will get one next year that says " I HEART HOLLIE!"
Gracie is modeling her new green outfit. Made from the top of a green jacket dress and a thermal shirt that both were too short.
Added ribbon with fabric glue and sewed on the flower with a button in the middle:
It WAS a ONESIE which I don't like for this age anymore and NOW:
I did reverse applique for the first time (the butterfly) and used the bottom of an existing pink shirt to make the band on the bottom of the above shirt. Then I used the top of the same pink shirt for the shirt below. Just added the way too short thermal shirt bottom and sleeves to it. Added the blue ribbon as a tie and the heart to finish it.These pants are kind of funny but still cute. I had a lot of stains to cover.

I think it all turned out pretty darn cute. Now I will be less scared to do it again to more clothes that need a little help. I think the best was wearing Luke's pants though. What do you think?

18 mos Photo Shoot

Grammy and Papa Visit

Grammy and Papa surprised us by coming to visit us instead of us going there like we planned! We were all for not driving and they were all for getting out of the house. Look at that smile...
Gracie loved the walker and Grammy wheeling her around on it. She especially liked the cubby inside. But after they got home, guess what they found inside of it? Our TV remote. Gracie, know doubt, was the culprit!
Lately Sequence is our game of choice when we are together and we talked the whole weekend about our new business we are starting. Our treat of choice has been and always will be Grammy's Caramel Popcorn and Rick/Luke's Buttered Popcorn to balance it out.

WHO LOVES PAPA?
I DO!!
Watch the video and you will see what Papa always teaches the little ones the first chance he gets. Gracie was raising her hand consistently in response to the question after just a few trainings. Now she even does it when she watches the video at home. We love PAPA! And you will also see some of Gracie's favorite sounds.

Grammy taught her a cute song too. Thanks Grammy!

We loved your visit Grammy and Papa. Come again soon!

13 things I want to remember about Gracie at 12-18 mos

New Moon Movie Uh-Oh
We saw new Moon in November 2009. When Bella and Edward are in her bedroom and it is such a sad serious discussion and then all of the music that built up the sadness shuts off and it is silent sadness... Gracie loudly and sadly goes "UH-OH!" The whole theater laughed. And then Edward says something and it goes silent again. And Gracie again sadder goes "UH-OH!" And the theater laughed again. It was hilarious. Then some ladies were in the bathroom afterward and didn't know I was their mom, turned to me and said, "Did you hear that cute little girl say uh-oh right at the right part?" And I said, "Yeah I'm her mom!"
Picking Chocolate Chips out of the Fiber One Bar
Gracie wanted a treat so I told her to get in her chair, which she did. I gave her a Fiber One Bar which basically taste like a candybar to me. I turned around a little late and Gracie was picking out each of the minuscule chocolate chips. She probably sat there for 20 minutes till she got them all and left the rest.

Trying on Bras in RossI was looking on the underwear isle in Ross and you know that takes quite a while. Well Gracie busied herself by picking all the lovely bras off the hangers and putting them over her head and arms. Then she walk down to the open isle and look around till I went and grabbed her to come back and take it off. She thought she was so clever and pretty. I am glad it will be a long time before she needs one of those. Stay young little girl!Walking My Shoes All Around the House
There is a pair of my shoes in every room in the house by the end of the day. Gracie loves to wear my shoes and clunk around in them. She loves her shoes too and always has to have shoes on. Grammy gave her some cute purple clicking heals for Valentine's Day.
Going up the Stairs Backwards
Gracie likes to try to go up the stairs backwards? Bozo!

Really Enunciating the Last Sounds of Words
Her favorite words are shoezzzzzzzzz, and hottttttt!

Hot Dogs and Ketchup
Gracie LOVES hot dogs!!! And KETCHUP... oh my goodness. She will dip anything in ketchup if I let her. She especially like to get it out of the fridge and grunt while she carries it heavily over to the table. But then she needs help.

Airplane, car, and animal noises all the time
Airplanes and loud jets go over us all time because of Hill Airforce Base. One day Gracie pointed to the sky and and went "whoooh" all scratchy like trying to imitate the plane. Ever since then her airplane sound has become the bomb and we always do it now everytime we hear one. Same with a car. She did it all by herself. "vvvvvvv" She loves to learn more animal sounds everyday. Even her monkey sound has become the whole thing, instead of just "ah-ah." Now it is "oo-oo-ah-ah." So cute!

Markers All the Time
Gracie loves to color but especially with markers. Too bad her mom loves markers too or else we just wouldn't have any in the house. :)

Taken By Two Fingers
Gracie has done this only once but it was crazy. She made me give her both of my index fingers for her to hold while she took me all the way from my bedroom downstairs through the kitchen and front room and then back upstairs where we started. Who knew what she was doing?

Gracie Said Her Name Today
She has only said it once that I have heard but it was so cute, I have to remember it. She looked at a picture of herself with her baby and her monkey and said both of their names. Then she pointed at herself and said "Gay Gi!"

A handful of Broccoli... with Ketchup!
She really did. Usually she always spits it out. And she only got a little on it because it was hard to dip being cooked and all. So that is okay by me.

Chicken in the Dishwasher
Luke opened the dishwasher one morning after a clean cycle the night before and guess what he found. He pulled out a partially melted baggy with chicken it. Last night Gracie was helping with the dishwasher but then I asked her to put the leftover chicken in the fridge. I even opened the fridge for her but I guess it never made it there. She felt it should go in the dishwasher instead. It made me laugh.