Out of the mouths of babes...

Maggie is now three years old. Like most girls, she LOVES to talk. These are some of her recent sayings:

-"What are you waiting for...an emma-na-gentation?" {Invitation} Said at a stop light, waiting for a car to turn. 

-She goes into her own room, promptly steps on a lego and says ''Who left the damn Legos out?"

Her: "I want to be able to see my brain Mom"
Me: "Sis, we can't do that. Our brains are very important body parts, that have to stay inside our head".
Her: "I just want to take it out and see it Mom."
Me: "Hon, we can't see our own brains. They are inside our head, kept safe by our skull. That's part of our skeleton."
Her: "Mom, I just want to see my bwain. Spongebob does it. I want to take mine out and see it too. I'll put it back when I'm done. Pinky promise!"

Yesterday Sissy comes running downstairs saying her room is SPARKLY clean. "Come see, Mom...Come see!!" as she is tugging me toward the stairs. So we go up and I notice that yes, her floor is VERY clean. Everything had been picked up and her floor was no longer covered in stuffed animals, mini lalaloopsies and dress up clothes. "Sissy your floor is very sparkly clean, and I'm proud of you for cleaning your floor but did you maybe just shove everything under the bed? It looks like there is a lot of stuff under your bed..." *huge dramatic sigh* and she says "Mom,  I just yike my stuff under the bed. That's where I keep it.  It makes my room SPARKLY clean Mom...see?!"

I was going through the pictures on my phone and it got me thinking....

how in the world do my kids do stuff like this?

I mean, really...How? In this instance, Maggie had been fully clothed and in her room. I went to start a load of laundry. I was gone MAYBE three minutes and came upstairs to find that she had removed her pajamas, undies and then somehow reached the container of lotion, opened it and covered her entire body. This is the same child that when we are on our way out the door, can't seem to put a pair of crocs on by herself and in a timely manner.

And it might not peak my curiosity so much if I hadn't already had this happen, to her oldest brother when he was the same age...

In this instance, he was suppose to be napping and I was washing the dishes. He wasn't quite two years old yet, he climbed up on top of the changing table, somehow unscrewed the cap off of a $10 container of Cetaphil cream and then proceeded to cover himself with it. I only raced in because he then began to cry because he was messy. Let's just say the overalls were a total loss and I had to wash his hair three times and it was still greasy for days. So when Maggie did the same thing, I wasn't as shocked as much as I probably should have been. I mean, at least she took her clothes off first.

This is still one of this families mysteries. How do they do it and why do they do it!?

**this post in being linked to Dropcam’s “Life’s Mysteries” Campaign!**

Life after Europe

We didn't live in Italy for too long (20 months) but due to my kids' ages (they were 5, 4, just turned 3, and 14 months old when we arrived in Vicenza) apparently they didn't remember as much about life in the US as I thought they would. We've been In Texas for about 36 hours now and here are some of their discoveries/joys:

-Just moments arriving in our hotel room, Connor starts hollering "Mom come here! Mom come here! This hotel is awesome! The bathroom has the coolest thing ever" so he literally take my hand, leads me to his bathroom and exclaims "our hotel has a clubhouse!"....while showing me the CLOSET.

Yep. Just a closet. But we moved to Italy 2 weeks after he turned 3, and our house in Italy didn't have a single closet anywhere. So to him, this door led to a secret room.

-Our flight from Italy took us to San Antonio where we stayed one night, and then drove to Houston. We stopped on our way and picked up Sonic for lunch. All the kids got wacky packs and I asked "Do you want French fries or tater tots?" All the boys immediately (excitedly) responded "tater tots". Except Maggie who said "what's that?" And I realized she had never had a tater tot. She had also never had the pellet ice, which fascinated her.

-Logan went to the bathroom and then came out to tell me that he was able to flush all by himself. "It didn't have two buttons mom, it has a thing hiding on the side and I could reach it!"

-We get to Houston, we're driving near downtown when Maggie wakes from her nap. I tell her that we are almost there and she is staring out the window. She says "what's that?" and I turn to see what she's pointing at...it was the overpasses. I had to explain that there were cars up there, which she then said "I not see them". She was fascinated by the skyscrapers downtown as well. It took a lot of explaining that they were tall building with offices and that the little squares were windows.

Other things were:

-the size of Target and the toy department (7 aisles of toys, not 2 like our PX had). Maggie went CRAZY when she saw all the LaLaLoopsies and the boys had the same reaction to the 2 aisles of just superhero stuff.

-Arby's at the airport...how did they make the fries like that and had they ever had them before? (it was Ryan and the answer was yes).

-There are yellow school buses just like in my book (Connor).

We have been stateside for less than 2 full days and they love it!

Milestone!

First time actually peddling on her tricycle...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sissy's first haircut

So all of the boys got their first haircut around a year old, all cut by the fabulous Mandy who was my hair stylist for 10+ years.

 And little Peanut:

(Bubba too but I don't have photos that old on the blog to pull from...)

But then we had Sissy, and she turned a year old in Texas and had very little hair to cut.

Then we moved to Italy, where sadly, Mandy is not available. For months I've been saying "Sissy needs a haircut'' and then letting it go because I just didn't know where to take her. I have an Italian hair stylist whom I love, but his English is so-so and I don't know how to explain that this is her FIRST haircut, ever. So I procrastinated.

In the mean time it's grown to lengths such as this:

It's getting long, but it's getting rough. Really dry damaged ends, and the longer it gets, the more the curls seem to get weighed down and lose their springy-ness. I bought tear-free Paul Mitchell shampoo thinking it would help, we've used the detangler as well and while it's easier to comb when wet, it was still drying looking rough. She was waking with some pretty serious bedhead.

So obviously when you wake with that kind of hair, it takes a while to comb out. And it takes a while to  comb through and wash on bath nights. Lately Sissy has been wearing her hair in pony tails or pig tails damn near every single day because it's just not manageable.

Well on Friday night, I took the plunge. She was in the tub and I was trying to get the hair elastic out and it was a nightmare. It was stuck in her ends, she was hollering, I was trying to rip the rubber elastic band and when I finally broke the loop, it was still wrapped up in a lot of hair. So I took it as a sign and that night after her bath, I cut it out. I combed her hair several times, pulled it back into a low ponytail, tied it with an elastic. Combed out the pony tail and put in another elastic about 2-3 inches up from the bottom of her hair. While she watched Backyardigan's on my iphone, I chopped it off up to that elastic 'marker'. Then I combed it out, angled in the front pieces and made sure it was all even. After that we blow dried with the diffuser attachment to get rid of the loose hair, see just how short it would be when dry...

Now granted, it's split into two at the top and ''topsy-turvy''-ed into little pigtails, but the ends are SO much softer. It's much faster to comb through and she LOVES it. And the boys aren't complaining either, ha!

26 months...

Well Sissy you are now 26 months.  While I never really thought about when I would stop doing these monthly updates, it seems crazy that I've now done 26 of them! I think once you hit 3 I will stop. I feel like right now (and up until now) you are learning and doing so much, so quickly and it's going to be nice to look back and remember when you started to do certain things. You change in looks a little bit each month and I think it's neat to see those changes little changes add up to the years...

 I really feel like what a child looks like at three is pretty much what they're going to look like their whole life, so I have decided for now, to keep going. So at 26 months you are:

• COMPLETELY POTTY TRAINED! WooHoo!! You were hands down the easiest kid to train as I didn't train you. You've had a potty a the house for months, which you occasional sat on. At daycare, once you turn 2 they start taking you to the potty before your diaper change. You saw your 3 year old friend use the potty and wanted to be a 'Big Girl' like D....so you did. You started holding it all night, peeing on the potty first thing when you woke up and then using it all day, staying dry. During naps, overnight, while out in public...you stay dry. You will tell me, Daddy, the daycare teachers ''I go pee pee in potty" and you can hold it for awhile until we get to the nearest one. This started the Tuesday the Sunday the 25th and I'll calling it today, "You are potty trained'' when you pooped in the real potty for the first time. It's crazy to think I don't need to buy diapers anymore. You never went through a whole package of pull ups (though I will probably use out the pack and keep one on you at night just in case). 
•  infatuated with babies. Dolls, real babies, babies in catalogs, pictures of babies. You love them.
• weighing 22.5lbs, wearing mostly 2T stuff (pants I have to roll the waist or take in the seam), and size 6 shoes.
• love wearing dresses and bows. Sit mostly still while I do your hair (usually in pig tails).
• are talking more often and clearer than you were even a month ago. You're turning in to quite the little parrot!
• still happily sleeping in your crib. All of your brothers were in toddler beds or a twin bed by this age but you love your crib. You have never once tried to climb out. You wake in the morning and yell ''Mommy? I uppy!" and we get you out.

And that's what you're up to at 26 months!

Gah! Talk about a blogging hiatus...

So I kinda took an unintentional month long break from blogging there...I was busy living life, instead of just sharing and telling about it.

We had Halloween parties and B leaving for a couple weeks for work. One mama with four kids, in the middle of cold and flu season left us with some pretty rough days. We had ear infections and sinus infections, antibiotics, vaporizers and doctor appointments. Add in a puppy who I'm trying to house train and who is also on antibiotics, a torrential amount of rainfall and flooding, 6 days of no school due to parent teacher conferences and Veteran's day, then the day to day chores and lastly Mom catching the stomach flu and whew...a whole month flew by since my last post!

I could say ''Oh it wasn't all bad" but honestly, it was rough. I'm used to B working overtime or going TDY for a bit here and there but this time he got to return stateside while I stayed back dealing with everything in Italy. That was a tough pill to swallow. He got to see my family, his family, he got to meet my new baby nephew, he was able to catch up with friends and cousins and shop at Walmart/Target. He went to the casino, ate Mexican food and shop at ''real'' Malls. He got to sleep in on weekends and stay out as late as he wanted. Yes, he attended a course for work while home, but he also got to have a lot of fun. And he got to see Kansas in the Fall. I love the colors and the crisp air that Autumn brings. Needless to say, I was (and I still am) uber-jealous.

And I don't mean to sound like a Debbie Downer...we tried to have fun too! We did see ''Wreck it Ralph", we went to our favorite garden store and saw their Christmas display. We went to the park and playground, we took photos for our Christmas cards (not once...not twice...but THREE trips to the park in order to get a decent picture). We made pizza, we had our lazy pajama/movie/xbox days too. We played outside, we played with the doggies...heck we even taught Lucca how to fetch!

Bubba and Pooks each had their parent teacher conferences. Both are doing outstanding!

According to his teacher, Pooks is a well rounded student. He is on track socially and developmentally. He scored mostly "CD"s on his report card with a few "P"s as well. (P= progressing, CD= consistently displayed). He is doing very well in his Language Arts as well as reading and letter recognition. He went into kindergarten recognizing all letters of the alphabet, upper and lowercase, but now he knows almost all of the phonics as well. He's recognizing numbers, patterns and shapes. Socially, he's on track. He's a good listener  he works well with other students....I could go on and on, but he's doing great! Mrs. T even joked about putting in a request now, to have Peanut in her class later.

Bubba is doing just as well. Mrs O said that he was an ''ideal student'' and she wished her own kids had been so well behaved and eager to learn. She thinks that Bubba consistently displays a desire and a true interest in learning. He's a good listener, he follows instructions, he is one of the students in class that doesn't need reminded to stand still in line or to get his snack, etc. He remembers to do his homework and does it well. He is reading at a level "I" which is right where he's suppose to be. Mrs. O said that his listening comprehension skills are good and his spelling is too. Each week they have a spelling test of 12 words and Bubba has never missed more than one word (and correct capitalization counts for/against as well). He loves art, he's great at drawing pictures for his stories and he is just right where he should be.

As a mom, I left those conferences BEAMING with pride. When you have two kids so close in age, it's kinda nerve-wracking  I'll be honest, I knew Bubba was doing well at school. He takes him homework sheet very importantly, he's constantly reading (for fun), he's never been in trouble and I've always heard good things about him from any/all of his previous teachers. But, I was slightly nervous about Pooks. He's in kindergarten, it's all new to him. He isn't as slow and methodical as Bubba. He rushes through his homework to get it done (and while it's often done hurriedly, it is correct). He gets antsy and things sometimes come easy to him which means free-time, which means he gets bored. So hearing that they're both excelling, made me proud. They got to pick out a book from the book fair and go out to lunch with mommy to our most favorite Italian restaurant while their little siblings were in hourly care/preschool.

And those little siblings? They're doing well too! Peanut will be four (FOUR!!) on Monday. He's been going to a preschool program on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30-1:30 and while he's there, I've been putting Sissy in the toddler class for the same time. This gives me a break *yay* as well as time to volunteer in the older boys' classrooms (Bubba's class on Tuesday, Pooks class on Thursdays). He absolutely loves Miss Barbara, he has his little friends, he likes the lunch that he gets to eat and he naps there...he won't nap at home anymore. He has learned to write and spell his name, he knows all of his colors and shapes, he can count to at least 20. He has begun spelling small words (fun, me, go, no, yes...etc). He is always very excited to tell me what they did that day, what he got to eat and what friends he played with.

Sissy is still just a spitfire. She sweet and cuddly and lovey one minute and rough and tumble the next. She has been in the toddler class since she turned two and she also thoroughly enjoys going to ''school'' as she calls it. She has recently shown a huge interest in using the potty and has been going on the potty at school and staying dry the whole time she is there. Home is a bit different...she does sit on the potty but her success rate isn't as high. She constantly asks for a ''school potty'' which is impossible since it's a real toilet  just miniature in size. She is petite for her age (22lbs and wearing mostly 18mos clothing) so the "big potty" truly is BIG. She's staying dry at night, she can pull her pants up and down. Once we conquer the fear of the falling in, she'll do great. She is also learning her colors and loves to tell you when something is "purple'' or ''green'' (her favorite colors to say).

Overall, things are great. This month definitely had it's ''hiccups''. But this week is Thanksgiving! We're hosting which should be fun. Then Peanut's party will be on Saturday (a Curious George themed breakfast party). Pretty soon it'll be Christmas which means we will have lived in Italy for an entire year. That seems crazy!

Sissy's 2nd Birthday party....

I'm so far behind on blogging, I don't even know where to begin. I have folders full of photos from when my parents were here back in August that I haven't shared yet...but before I get myself in a landslide backwards, I'll share Sissy's party pictures first :)

We had a joint party with Delilah, who turned 3 the same week that Sissy turned 2. If toddlers can have BFF's, then these two are definitely BFF's. We had an indoor party due to weather, but the theme was mermaids and everyone seemed to have a lot of fun!

 

 

I really didn't take that many pictures...too busy and having too much fun! We had kids playing in every room in the house, Disney's The Little Mermaid on in the living room. We served grilled hotdogs, chili, potato casserole, fruit salad, baked beans, fixings for Frito Pie, then of course cupcakes! Most of the adults hung out in the kitchen talking and catching up. It was nice to have an easy-going relaxing party...I just can't believe Sissy is TWO!

24 months later...

Happy 2nd Birthday Sissy!!

I know every single month I say " I can't believe you're..." but I really mean it this time. When did my tiny baby turn into a little girl? You are growing up so quickly! I know part of it is life is hectic, we're living in a foreign country and I have 3 other kids to take care of as well, but it seems like your age just kinda creeped up on me. Personally I think you are the *cutest* two year old little girl that I have ever seen, but I love being able to look back and compare to last year and see just how much you grew...

Well, to be fair you didn't grow too much. You are older, wiser, more capable of doing things, more independent, taller and much more personable...but not much bigger. 

Last year, you wore a size 4 shoe...now you're in a size 6.

Last year, you wore a size 4 diaper...not you're in a 3.

Last year, you weighed 18lbs 5oz and were 29.25 inches in length...now you are 22.5 lbs and 33.5 inches in length.

You are at an age where your primary focus is just having fun. You know how to run/walk/climb/dance/hop and now you just want to spend all day doing that! You love to listen to music and dance. Doesn't matter if we're in the car or at home, you love to shake your little body all around and do so with a huge smile on your face. You're a daredevil and a spitfire and you don't seem to be afraid of anything. 

You still don't talk much. I'm not sure if you can't or if you simply don't need to. One day I really worry about it (the lack of understandable speech) and the next day you're yelling ''MOM! Where are you?" while wandering the house looking. I really think that with 3 brothers and 2 parents who are used to raising small kids, you just really don't need to say much....we simply do it/get it before you say a word. 

It is very obvious that you are a little girl who has three big brothers. While you love taking care of your "babies", feeding them and laying them down for naps, etc...you also love to play with Batman. You love legos and cars as much as you love your toy kitchen and dolls. You don't have a tea set or a doll house yet, so I can't say how much you like ''girl toys'' as you've never really tried. You're content with Lightning McQueen and a baby stroller.

Today we celebrated with dinner and cupcakes and you opened two presents. Your party will be on the 14th and I'll update again afterward.

We love you so much Sissy, I can't even imagine what life would be like without you. Happy Birthday my Maggie Moo :)

It's time for a give-away!!

**GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED**

I know I have been bad about blogging. We're just so busy and hectic, especially now that it's summer and we have no structured routine. I have definitely been neglecting the blog, so first I apologize!

Secondly, I know you've all heard me talk about my friend Katie before. Katie and I have been friends since high school, spent some time in college together and then life got in the way, we each moved and I can probably count on one hand how many times I've seen here since :( It's sad but it's life and we're both rocking the stay at home mom thing now! We both are super busy with our families consisting of many littles and the good news is that with Facebook and blogging, we're still able to keep in touch! Now I fully admit Katie has it ''together'' a bit more than me. Not only does she have three little ones under the age of three {man I remember those days!} but she also has an Etsy shop, Abundant Sonshine, where she makes and sells the CUTEST kids clothes! Which is a super big bonus for anyone reading this today because Katie has offered to do a giveaway on Loveable Chaos! A $30 store credit toward anything in the shop, will be given to the winner. Thanks Katie!

First of all, let's look at how cute the storefront is for Abundant Sonshine:

So adorable and happy :)

Secondly, the clothes themselves are beyond adorable! Right now the shop is full of girl clothes, but I did read on her Facebook page that she's working on adding stuff for boys too! (And also, she is 3 "likes" away from 100 fans on her Facebook page...which when she hits 100 fans, she'll also be doing a giveaway on Facebook. Is she generous or what!?)

So onto the clothes...Sissy is fortunate enough to have received several outfits from Katie and I can say first hand, they are just as cute in person as online. Secondly, and more importantly, they are SO well made. Our little Sissy is quite the tomboy, she doesn't sit and play tea but she does push diggers around in the dirt outside. The clothes from Abundant Sonshine are cute but also very practical! She can look adorable and still play, she isn't restricted in these clothes because they're cotton or knit, which is so important when you're dressing a toddler.

One of the recent dresses Sissy got to try out was the "Washi Flutter Dress". I love this dress because it's girly without being over the top. It's simple, it's comfortable and it's easy to match shoes/hairbows with because the pattern is so bright and colorful. Perfect for Dads! Orange bow? Purple bow? Blue Crocs? It all works!

Now the second outfit and probably my favorite of the two is the ''Maggie Reversible Pinafore" 

Firstoff, I am in LOVE with that woodland fabric. Seriously, love! Secondly, it has that classic simple look. The criss cross in the back, the pocket, the length that is screaming to show off a cute diaper cover...just perfect. This one has Sissy excited and is probably her favorite too...she takes it from the drawer and says ''Owls Mama?? Owls??" Totally toddler approved!

I have to say, Katie's attention to detail is phenomenal. The little green flower buttons, the way the owl lines up just so on the reverse side {which I'm kicking myself for not getting a photo of} right down to the tags on each piece. Each piece has a tiny tag with the S from her "Abundant Sonshine'' logo or a full tag, as well as a size tag on the inside {not on the reversible piece, obvs). Not only that but each order is wrapped beautifully as well:

Completely read for gift giving. I even hot glued the fabric rosette from the wrapping, to an alligator clip and turned that into a hair bow!

So...who wants to win $30 of store credit towards an item in the shop? You can each have the chance to enter up to FOUR times by doing the following:

1. Go over to Abundant Sonshine, take a look around and leave a comment telling me what your favorite item in the shop is! As Pooks would say ''That's Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy!" That's ONE entry!
2. "Like" Abundant Sonshine over on Facebook. Tell her you heard about her awesome shop from me and you'll earn yourself a SECOND entry :)
3. Once you like the shop on Facebook, share this giveaway on your wall for a THIRD entry!
4. If you're on the Twitter, tweet about this giveaway and you'll be entered for a FOURTH entry!

Be sure to leave a comment for each method of entry. {ie: I liked Abundant Sonshine on Facebook}

So that's it! The giveaway will start now and you can enter until Sunday, July 15th around 3pm central time. I will announce the winner that evening or Monday {hey, I'm in Italy and can't always stay up to 11pm!} Four ways to enter and four full days to enter. 

Pretty simple and totally worth it! Plus when you like the shop on Facebook, you might be lucky enough to be the 100th person!!

Yep, you guessed it...another Abundant Sonshine outfit. 

**The easiest way to share on Facebook or Twitter is right below this post **

It's that time again...

Tada!

Sissy you are now even closer to turning two years old! Nineteen months...it almost seems impossible. One year ago today you looked like this:

You have changed so much...you no longer look like a baby but now, a little girl. You are truly acting and looking like a toddler. Granted you haven't grown much...the onesie in your seven month photo...you still fit in that but you are growing. You're healthy and happy. You are talking a little bit more each day. You are running and jumping and a ball of energy.

At NINETEEN months you are...

• tipping the scales at 20.8lbs. You have gotten taller for sure because your jeans are all too shorts on you but I don't remember your measurement (it was in centimeters).
• speaking clearer each day. You love to say ''I don't know", "Peek a boo" and peoples names. I love the way you say "Logan" and "Delilah", the best. You also like to yell ''BOYS" and "Wascal!" 
• now randomly come running up to me, say ''Hi Mom!" then ''Up!" then once I lift you up say ''i-wove-you" and give me a kiss. You've always been affectionate but it's fun to see you initiating it. 
• really getting into playing with toys. You love playing with Mega Blocks, any book, your Leapfrog Explorer and your baby/stroller. You also don't hesitate to crawl around the house pushing a car saying ''vrrroom, vrrrooom" with your brothers. 
• still nap, once a day in the afternoons. You are also sleeping all night in your room, in your crib without waking
• of course, you're still nursing. I don't see you giving up the boob anytime soon. It's only at home and usually only when sleepy.
• have more teeth! You have your four front and bottom teeth, all four molars and two upper canine teeth. 
• now sit at the table with no booster seat, no high chair. You insist on sitting like everyone else. It's a bit messy sometimes but mostly you do extremely well. You use your silverware and napkin, you drink from an open mouth cup and are very proud of yourself for doing so. 
• doing much better with your separation anxiety. I have been taking you to hourly daycare on post for 3-4 hours a week and while you always cry when I leave, you stop crying very quickly. Your teachers say that you behave well and are a great eater. 
• finally fit into a size 5 shoe without it constantly slipping off. Your feet smell horrible though, so we usually let you go barefoot anywhere we can!
• sitting much better for these monthly photos. You say ''cheese'' and let me take quite a few before giving up!

Oh Pinterest, how I love thee!

So a few months ago, I discovered Pinterest. It's a virtual pin board...you see something you like on another blog or website you ''Pin It" {like bookmarking} and it shows up on your pin boards. I have a button on the right hand column that says ''Follow me on Pinterest''. If you click that, you can see what I mean.

But, I digress.

I freaking love pinterest. Yes, it can be a major time suck but used wisely, it's also so informative! I started out using it as a means of bookmarking things for Sissy' birthday party. I used a bunch of those ideas {circle garland, pennant birthday sign, rainbow themed} at her party so it was win-win. As I was pinning things for her party, I started seeing recipes and craft projects....gradually I pinned those too. Hence, our ''monster pillows'' inspired by the ''Pajama Monsters" I found pinned by a friend...

I used Pinterest to get ideas as to what to wear for our family photos; what colors coordinated and pose ideas for all of us. I don't think I used any of what I pinned {it's hard to remember and apply in the situation!} but it made me realize that as long as we were all happy, the camera would catch that...and that was most important.

Like I said, if you aren't on Pinterest, you should be. It's amazing. I try to pin things that i will actually use/do/try so while I've been on for months, I haven't really pinned that much considering. I've tried a few of the recipes (chicken bacon ranch mac & cheese, cheeseburger soup, frozen pureed banana), learned a few photo and organizational tips. It's amazing. Did I say that already??

So on to today. I'm sick...or getting sick. Woke up with a sore back, headache, sore throat and that general blah feeling. My ears feel like there is fluid in them and sufficed to say, I didn't want to even leave the house today. So this afternoon, I was checking my usual ''YAY it's nap-time!" things {email, facebook, blog list and pinterest} I was reminded of a project that I had pinned weeks ago. I didn't forget it because it wasn't that important, it was just that life got in the way and I didn't have time to get my sewing machine out. And it was something I needed to make. So it's naptime, it's quiet and I figured better now than never.

What did I make? Why a Bapron (baby apron) or two,

And Sissy using one of hers....

It's a tutorial that I pinned from Craftiness is not optional, and I love it! Sissy has been yanking bibs off for months now. She'll yank til the velcro comes undone, then throw it to the dog. So this is perfect. There are arm holes to slip it on, then you knot it in the back. It's nice and big, when she sits it comes down past her waistline, keeping her pants clean too!

Please excuse the horrible lighting, it's dark by dinnertime now...Flash=crappy pics

The best part is how quick they are to whip up! I made two in about an hour...and I had to make the brown bias tape. Everything I needed, I had on hand. This one was made from leftover nursery bedding fabric, the other is a cupcake fabric with leftover store bought, double fold white bias tape. Both are backed in flannel for absorbency. Though I would love to make one in oil cloth or laminated cotton...so easy to wipe down. They really are perfect and Sissy doesn't even realize it is a bib. She didn't fight me putting it on or try to take it off while eating. I think because I slip it on her arms, she thinks she's getting dressed and just leaves it alone. Total bonus! The barpon...who knew right!? Thanks Pinterest!