1.800.222.1222

This is the number of the Poison Control Center. Every parent should have this number. If you don't already have it on your fridge or cabinet or programmed into your phone, take a moment to do so now. TJ gave me a scare today when I found him chewing on the child-proof lid of a pill bottle, the empty bottle clutched in his little fist. Remember the joke about how if you can't get a child-proof lid to open, just ask a little kid to do it for you? Apparently true. A quick perusal of the area left 3 pills unaccounted for. The nice people at the Poison Control Center assured me that he would have a bad tummy ache, but would be otherwise fine (I later found two of the missing three pills; I hope the dog ate the missing one, as I'd rather him have a tummy ache than TJ).

Pumpkin Dip

Be the favorite guest at a fall event with this yummy dip:

5 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 c. canned pumpkin
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (the recipe calls for 2Tbsp, but I think that would have been too sweet)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
1/2 c. plain greek yogurt (or regular yogurt that has been strained to thicken it)

Cream all ingredients together until well-blended. Core and wedge about 6 apples, arrange on a platter, and off you go. You'll be sure to be invited back.

Notes from HQ

So ladies, take note: Ann Taylor has a couple of little black dresses an extra 40% off an already good sale price. That means you can score a sweet, classic, MODEST, awesome little black dress for for $59.99 (as opposes to the starting price of $165-170). Just don't show up at the same party as me in your new frock. Oh, and this one is really pretty, too.

I've had lots and lots of people ask me about the Wheely Cow and Bug. The Wheely Bugs are made by Prince Lionheart. They are sold in specialty toy stores, and on-line. Google Prince Lionheart Wheely Bug and tons of results and stores will come up. I've had plenty of friends who have felt that the small size is too small, but we've liked ours tons. I've seen them go on sale for as little as $30, but only when the store is going out of business.

Cheers, and happy shopping.

Happy Birthday TJ!!!

Yesterday was TJ's 1st birthday.
I can't hardly believe he's one, and I can't hardly believe how different everything is now than it was a year ago. The past year has been a crazy one, but it's also been one of the happiest ones ever. TJ is such a pleasure. I'm so happy he's mine!

But... at what point do I need to stop referring to him as "the baby"?

Grandma and Grandpa Glade and Great-Grandpa Compton drove down from Wichita to spend TJ's special day with him. Here he is unwrapping his first gift with dad's help. What could it be?




Grandma and Grandpa's gift was so fun to climb and play on top of, it was almost a shame to open it and wreck the fun.



I made TJ a carrot cake for his birthday. I think he liked it:

The Wheely Cow

In case you do not know, this is a wheely cow:
Best toy ever. TJ loves his wheely cow. It's made to ride on, but TJ pushes it all through the house backward. It is his favorite toy--mine too, for that matter. We are always finding it in funny and strange places, usually surrounded by chaos and great messes. In our house, the cow is a harbinger of destruction.









Psst:TJ's birthday is tomorrow. Don't tell him, but he's getting a wheely bee that's the size larger.















The author of all these messes:
And yes, he can open all drawers, cabinets, hutches, etc. Disaster. My bathroom cabinets are his favorite.


And here is a video to demonstrate why I have been too busy to blog lately:


It's amazing how fast he learned to walk. One day Rob put him down, and he just started to walk. He took about 8 steps and fell down. From that point on, it's taken less than a week to be able to walk across a room without falling.

And one more about the cow:

Upwards

Climbing is TJ's newest obsession. He climbs up the stairs. I go get him. He climbs up the stairs again. I go get him. He climbs
Well, you get the picture.
Last week he actually did learn how to climb DOWN the stairs; the problem is that he can't remember to turn around and go down backwards without me helping him, so he still sits at the top and SCREAMS for help... So even though he can climb down them, I still have to run up the stairs over and over and over again all day long. *sigh* At least I'm burning extra calories...

Then, he started climbing on top of his toy box. It's not too high, so I figured it would only kind of hurt when he fell off. The couch was next in his climbing pursuits.

Then I found this:

I wasn't real pleased, but he was so proud of himself, and screamed so loud when I took him down, I decided to let it be. When I turned around about 2 minutes later, this is what I saw:



When he started stepping onto the shelves, I put down the camera and ended this game. Oh, the tears!

With all these shinanigans, it's a good thing we've finished the master bathroom. I can sure use a long calming bath some evenings.

Walking Chair

Our new house has lots and lots of tile. It's actually great for Chasqui and TJ, and it's super easy for me to clean. Plus, it enables TJ to play this cool new game:





I keep finding chairs in the funniest places; in the bathrooms, in the pantry, in the entryway, in the laundry... TJ is busy rearranging the furniture!