Trying hard

I don't want to be at work. Having a hard time coming out of vacation mode. Anyone have any tips? I need a nice tall cup of Tim Horton's French Vanilla rightnow. Alas, there aren't any in the US. I do have a box of it at home that I got on this trip, but I need it NOW. Ah well..

Oh, and the BIG news. Actually, I have two. Both are equally good. Only a mother can equate a NEW car and a Potty Trained Toddler. LOL! Yes, I have a brand new Honda Civic! And Mehul is ALMOST POTTY TRAINED!! He has been staying dry for a few weeks in the morning and mostly throughout the day. He is almost there! Soon we will say goodbye to diapers!

My new toy - Honda Civic 2007 LX - Royal Blue Pearl.



We had a busy weekend. Saturday was our regularly scheduled Potluck dinner (5 families). It was my turn to host this time. I'm good at snacks and main course dishes. I'm not good at desserts hence the request for recipes a couple of weeks ago (Thanks, Suz). I made something similar to the recipe she posted - premade Dessert cups (made of cake) with whipped topping, strawberries, and strawberry Jello. Everyone liked it. The kids LOVED Jello. I should have made some extra. Even the resident non-eater loved it.

Summer is definitely here

This weekend was so relaxing. We did not have anyone over, we didn't go errand-running (except a trip to Walmart - Diaper Emergency!), heck I didn't even clean the way I usually do. Mehul and I went to the library on Saturday but that was a short trip. Mostly, we just stayed inside or played in the backyard.
Saturday - DH helped us setup the Slip-N-Slide in the backyard and then he went to get the car fixed. Mehul and I stayed outside for about 2 hours. I put my chair next to him and continued my reading. He really enjoyed it. After this, trip to the library. I am so impressed by our Library's Collection. So far, there are *very* few books I've wanted to read and haven't found at the Library. There are actually 6 branches and I can request books from other branches too. Their catalog and request system is online as well, it's very convenient.
Sunday - Father's Day. I made DH one of his favorite dishes - Puri Aloo for lunch. I also let him sleep-in in the morning and had breakfast ready when he came down (he usually makes breakfast on weekdays). Later in the day, Mehul and I baked a cake for him! We're actually cutting it today because we all were so stuffed yesterday. We inflated a kiddie pool for Mehul. We actually got a high efficiency pump for it and still it was such a pain to inflate the pool. We're just keeping it inflated indoors (basement is unfinished so no one really goes there). I took pictures! I'll share them soon I promise.

Here's a Summer themed LO. I actually did it a couple of weeks ago but never got around to posting it.


Credits:
Michelle Coleman's Beautiful Journey available at Little Dreamer Designs.

Another boring Weekend Recap

So, we started the REAL potty training this weekend. That means the diaper is OFF. I have mentioned before that we're taking it slow with Mehul as we don't want to pressure him. Another good reason is that we don't own a Steam Cleaner and we have lots of carpet ;) We started training him because, well, we don't have much to do rightnow! LOL! It's true. No home improvements, nothing exciting, really. Plus, I want some good stories for scrapping and blogging. LOL!

M is usually very good about telling us when he has to use the potty for poop (sorry if it's TMI). He doesn't tell us about the waterworks, but that's because he always has diaper or pull-ups on. For the non-US residents, pull ups are really just like diapers but are easier to pull up. They function like diapers and can hold really well. They're supposed to train the kids and give a wet feeling. Except that it doesn't really work that way and parents start treating it just like a diaper.

So, no diaper this weekend. We didn't have to go anywhere (except M went for a haircut and came back almost bald, thanks to DH). Saturday morning, I asked M if he needed to use the potty. Nope. I put his pajama on and let him run around. He was sitting in DH's lap in the recliner and watching the trucks outside the window - our daily ritual. And then I heard this.

DH : "Mehul, you did P-P?"
Mehul: "No. Pajama did P-P!"

Yeah. The weekend was pretty much like this. I managed to do a lot of stitching and movie watching. Casino Royal was really good. Legally Blond 2 was ok. I loved The Holiday. There was another one on Jeepers Creepers marathon that I don't remember!

Us

Credits:
Everything from Ztampf.
Palais Royal kit, Belaced Accent Pack, Silky Blooms Accent Pack, Atristrokes - The Gift Of Life

Embrace

Credits:
Background: Lisa Whitney Artsy Fartsy Sampler given on ScrapArtist Blog
Lace: Scrapartist Simple Pleasures kit
Tag: Miki Ferkul
Grid Overlay: Designer Digitals Katie Pertiet
Photo Frame: Designer Digitals Katie Pertiet
Swirly Overlay: Scrapartist Simple Pleasures kit
Wordart: Scrapartist Simple Pleasures kit

Weekend Recap

Friday (yes, the weekend starts Friday evening): Ran some errands while returning. We were carpooling that day so I picked DH up from his office and then picked Mehul. Did I mention here that I have bought a new Juicer! We are loving the fresh juices on the weekends. I don't like the taste of any of the juices on the shelf, plus they add sugar and/or preservatives. I have tried so many brands over the years and not found a single juice I love. Plus I thought Mehul would really enjoy fresh juices as well but soon I found out that he doesn't like drinking juice from the sippy cups. Normal cups are ok for water (spills happen) but not for juice. He loves drinking from the juice box with a straw. I wanted to look for a cup with a straw. And I found them on Target. Yay! He finished a complete 6oz fresh juice for the first time this weekend!

Then, we went to Cosi for dinner. I had the TBM Sandwich (Tomato-Basil-Mozzarella) and DH had the Tandoori Chicken in a flatbread. He said it reminded him of India like none of the Indian restaurants do! Go figure. LOL! I had actually heard that from a former co-worker so I asked to go there so DH could try it. Glad he loved it :D

Saturday: We had an appointment with H&R Block for filing our tax returns. The weather was in 70s, perfect after a long winter! DH went for the appointment and Mehul and I hung around the house for a while. I only needed to be there to sign at the end as DH handles this anyway. I went there and found that they were still far from signing.

So, Mehul and I went on a 'walk' outside. I was walking and he was running. Kept on saying "Let's Run! Let's Run!" We went on a bicycle trail (W&OD trail for the locals) and 2 cyclists came from the front. Mehul was so excited. "Traffic on the Road! Bicycle!" He talks like this all the time as his sentence formation isn't quite there yet. It was sooo funny. Then we came out into the parking lot and there were lots of school buses there so we checked out a bus. From up close! Imagine how exciting that was! LOL! He is really into trucks and buses at the moment. The trains phase has passed.

One of our friends called us for dinner that night. Actually they have been calling for 2 weeks but we couldn't go because someone was always sick. Had a really nice evening. The weather couldn't have been better. We actually contemplated sitting outside on the deck but it had gotten a little chilly at night. Soon, though :)

Sunday: Low key day. Phone calls back home, cleaning, stitching (Yeah!), running, and scrapping. I kept up with the laundry this week so there was only one load left to do. I think I'll make this a habit. Takes some pressure off Sundays.

Messy, Recipe, Sleepy

1. Messy layouts. I'm loving this new style. It fits like a glove. And yet it challenges.
2. I've created a whole bunch of recipe cards. I'm afraid posting might be copyright infringement for some recipes. I'm not sure if I can share them because most of the recipes are from published books. I've made modifications but the main recipes are from books. Guess I'll keep most of them just for me. I'll either put them in a 5x7 photo album or get them laminated, punch holed and threaded.
3. Sleepy I am. Didn't even watch much TV last night because it was super bowl but still slept after midnight. Don't remember what I was doing. LOL. Is it time to go yet?

Unique Perspective

Credits-
Papers, paint, flower, stitching: Diamante Designs Forever in Love kit
Knotted Ribbon: Diamante Designs Fashion Ribbons
Swirly stamp: Diamante Designs Scribble Swirls
U = Diamante Felt Alpha
N = Diamante Rubbed Alpha
I = Diamante Furry Alpha in Valentine Mega Kit at TDS
Q = Michelle Coleman Button
U = Michelle Coleman Chipboard square, Shaggy Characters alpha from

www.DustyBear.com
E = Michelle Coleman Summer kit (forgetting the name...)

Sweet Cheeks

Credits-
Background Paper: LindaGB Star Bazaar
Bird Overlay: Michelle Coleman Flowers For Mom
Frames: Anna Aspens Work Hard Play Hard, Jen Wilson Messy Edges
Star: LindaGB Star Bazaar
Flower: Michelle Coleman Flowers For Mom
Buttons: Michelle Coleman Flowers For Mom
Twisty Tie: LindaGB Star Bazaar
Splash of Paint: Anna Aspens Work Hard Play Hard,
Checklist brush: Gina Cabrera To Do Stamps Freebie
Line Dot Brush: SBB Toolbox CT Kit ~ Misty Cato
Tape: LindaGB Star Bazaar
Fonts: Carpenter, Trashed, Times

Learning my ABC

Credits-
Background Paper: Meredith Fenwick Everyday Inspiration ~ Perfect Time of Day
Text Overlay: Anna Aspens Work Hard Play Hard
Big Star Brush: Michelle Coleman Written In The Stars
Red Star Brush: Anna Aspens Work Hard Play Hard
Strings: Meredith Fenwick Stung Out
Eyelet Ribbon: Michelle Coleman Savoir Faire
Staple: Diamante Designs
FilmStrip: Jen Wilson Messy Frames
Grungy Frame: Anna Aspens Work Hard Play Hard
Star: Digi Supply Closet
Stitched Circles: Michelle Coleman Christmas Magic
ABC ALpha: Anna Aspens Work Hard Play Hard

Thanks for the comments on my win. I was surprised on getting picked because there were so many beautiful entries. It's an honor to receive *any* recognition from ScrapArtist specifically. It's my most favorite place to shop ;) They're top of the line.

Really Nice Day, But What Does It Mean?

Yesterday was such a nice day here in D.C. We had recordbreaking high temperature. 73F!! Apparantly, the headline in Delhi newspapers was, 22C in Wahington DC, and 4C in Delhi in January! What's going on?

We (along with the rest of DC, VA, MD residents) made the most of it. We decided to take Mehul to a petting zoo near our place. We have never been, and (I) got really excited at the sight of Ostrich, Lamas, and many more animals. Got to the gate, and realized it was closed for the season! I can't blame them. It's not usual for people to want to visit the petting zoo in the midde of winter! As we were leaving, we saw atleast 3 cars stop by! Really a bummer. But it's really only 15 minutes from our home, so it's no big deal. We'll certainly go back.

So, we decided to go to Great Falls State Park. The Potamic river runs through the middle of it, and forms a sort of waterfall. We just love going there. Saw some people were having BBQ there. Unusual sight for January!

Some pictures (and a rare one of me!)


Between yesterday and today, I have ran around 4 miles, and hiked 2 (at Great Falls). Yes!! I figure to complete my 100 miles in less than 90 days, I have to do more than a mile a day. I'm behind!