This is How We Stand

We went to Mom's Group this morning and I pitched the idea of a baby-sitting co-op to the group and nobody bit...I guess I'm the only Mom in the entire town who ever needs a baby-sitter. HA!

The good news is that the group coordinator has asked me to put something together about baby-sitting cooperatives to actually present as the topic for one of the upcoming weeks. I'm getting excited about talking on the benefits of baby-sitting for parents and children alike. I'm even considering sending the piece that I've yet to write to the newspaper. Yes, I'm so excited that I'm getting ahead of myself. I have a writing assignment!

Luke's for sure got a tooth coming in. I can see it just under the skin. He didn't nap at all yesterday, although he slept well during the night...thankfully. I was wiped out after a day without naps!

Sole Proprietor

Pictures: Luke is doing a lot of standing these days. He pulls himself up on anything that stands a few inches off the ground. When he's tired of standing he has begun squatting like his cous-uncle J'mark, or sitting on his knees, like in this picture where he's playing with his red truck.

I address you today as the sole proprietor of the company Thiessen Photography. This morning Luke and I went down to the bank and opened a business account and were told that I, Laura, am the "sole proprietor of Thiessen Photography". At least until we register our company name with the city. then Derek can become joint owner.

Luke did a very good job going to the bank on business this morning. Our banker gave him a balloon and he pushed it all over the floor of her office and chased it. Luke did some business at the bank on the floor, Mommy did some business above the desk.

This afternoon we have another exciting outing planned. Sookie gets her booster shots (I guess it's not exciting for Sookie). So far Luke is having a doozie of a time getting to sleep for his nap, though. I hope he gets at least one little nap in before we have to go out again at 3:30. Normally he'd have had both naps by then, but here it is almost noon and he's still crying in his crib. He has started standing in his crib, which keeps him awake. I go in and lay him down and usually after the third or fourth time I lay him down he goes to sleep. But in the meantime he's chewing away with his one little tooth on the corner of the crib where he stands.

First Full Workout

Today was my first full workout at Curves, and my third day in a row of getting up at 5:45am. I'm doing okay, but by 9:30 in the evening I am toast. I am definitely going to have to be going to bed earlier with this new schedule.

Luke is all in green today. Green car socks with orange racing stripes, green camouflage pants and his green dinosaur shirt. I am also wearing green. I suppose we are in green withdrawals. Our apparel today is like my last symbol of hope for this Winter to end. If it doesn't end soon I might shrivel up and be swept into the dust bin like those dirty, hard old raisins that I find for weeks after Cammy has been over. I just crave green, growing things!

So far Luke has fallen down four times this morning. He's been up for an hour and a half. This morning when I went to get him up he was standing in his crib. That's the first time we've seen that! Luckily Derek put the mattress down last weekend. Luke is just convinced he can pull himself up to standing on everything. Twice he grabbed the handle on the desk drawer and pulled himself up only to smack himself on the forehead with the handle on his way down. Yesterday he tried to pull up on my camera bag, this morning again the laundry basket, another time my pant legs..this kid. This house. This dog. It keeps me busy. Still I am going mad for Spring to come already!

Thursday Breakfast

Okay, I haven't even shown this to Jaime yet, so you can't say anything...but I am so excited about it! These are pictures from yesterday's shoot, and I put together this card this morning. I'm going to design a few more while I'm on a roll and give her some options. I just wrote "giver some options"...I've read too many Westerns haha.

This morning I went for breakfast with Celeste and her son. School was cancelled today because of the ICE, so Mackenzie came too. I tried to get a picture of Sookie trying to pee on the frozen snow, but I missed it. It was hilarious, and incredibly dangerous. I didn't even take my garbage down the driveway because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get back up the slippery pavement! But by ten o'clock everything was thawing out nicely and Celeste and I were able to go out to breakfast. I also got some free advice on Roehn's card from the pro, which is always very helpful.

Busy Day

What a busy day we've had and it's only one o'clock! This morning started for me at 5:45, when I got up and headed to Curves. It was nice and talking to the owner was very encouraging (as she weighed me and took my percent body fat). When I came home Luke was waking up and Derek left for work.

Luke and I had breakfast and then did our footprints. Sookie didn't want to be left out either. Then Luke went down for a nap and Jaime and her kids came over for a photo shoot of Roehn. We got some great stuff this morning, and I'll be putting together some 3 month cards for them, which I am getting pretty excited about.

The rest of today is going to be slow, and I'm making turkey pot pie for dinner - yum!

Another Day

Bathtime for Sookie, and what we're missing back in California (compliments to Dad on the photograph!).

Well, good things are happening around here. I am going to start exercising tomorrow. We'll see if I keep at it, but tomorrow I am going to Curves. I'm not sure if we'll be able to afford it for very long, but I need the discipline of going somewhere and the ease of having a routine already set up for me. It just doesn't happen on my own at home. So we'll see.

Also I offered to photograph the CMU School of Writing and have entered into conversations on a "trade of services". I may be able to take the poetry class that week in exchange for my photographic services. I am getting very excited about the possibilities here!

Luke seems to be sleeping less and I think we may need to adjust his routine, because today he woke up at 6:30 again. Maybe he has to start going to bed later than 8pm because I am counting on him sleeping to 8am so that I can go to Curves before he wakes up. The story of our lives...adjusting.
Blanket Rides:

What's Cookin'

We are struggling to get back into our routine after being sick. And by struggling I mean waking up two hours early! I am a tired Mom. But at this very moment baby is sleeping in his crib, dog is sleeping in her crate, Dad is at work...and I feel such a huge relief! I am still in my jammies, but things can actually get done when everyone's napping. For example, I could wash my pots.

Aren't they sweet playing together? I love watching them, which is good because they need to be watched. Luke is picking up speed and Sookie is getting bigger by the hour it seems. They are a disastrous duo. After Sookie and Luke knocked over the guitar, tried to chew on TV cables, whined and clambered at the gate at the top of the stairs and blew through my swept pile of dust I decided to give them something they couldn't destroy. While they were sucking and chomping and admiring their own reflections I actually got the floors cleaned!