Dancing with the Stars

Flipping through the channels tonight, we briefly rested on Dancing with the Stars, which inspired the following conversation:

Sarah: I don't understand this show. I don't want to watch...

Jay: Well, yeah. It's like picking someone off the street and saying "I'm going to teach you to sew in an hour." OK. Great. That's what a community center's for. And there shouldn't be any cameras there.

Sarah: (unresponsive due to peals of laughter...)

Pandora

I always forget about Pandora.com but I LOVE it! It's so easy to use and it's free...the best part of course. When Lula and I are playing downstairs and I don't feel like setting up my ipod speakers, which usually reside in my sewing room, Pandora.com is an easy way to get some great music quickly. Lula also LOVES it! I have a "Laurie Breckner" playlist that plays the least cheesy and horrendously offensive children's music I've heard. It's great. Just type in a band that you like and Pandora gives you music that is in the same genre and style as the band you like. You can even buy individual songs as you listen, and of course you can write down songs/bands you like to add to your ipod/mp3 later on. It's also a great way to hear new music if you don't listen to the radio. Can't quite say enough about it. My favorite part is when Lula bounces up down and taps her leg in an Elvis-style fashion when certain songs come on. I wrote those down of course! Try it out if you haven't already...Pandora.com

OH...and I've discovered that I'm in love with Elizabeth Mitchell for kids' songs. I keep coming over to see who's singing a particular song and it's frequently her. Her songs are folky, easy to sing, fun, and very sweet. Love it!

First Easter

Happy Easter! We had a lovely day and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. Yesterday I gave Lula a bath and then attempted to put rollers in her hair! As you can see, she wasn't that happy about it, but left them in long enough to get some cute curls...which didn't last through the night of course!

This morning Jay headed out early to run sound at church while Lula and I got beautified. (Thanks, Aunt Ev for the amazing dress and hat! It's really for her birthday, but we'd thought we'd give it a test run before the big day!) The hat lasted for an even shorter amount of time than the curls! She's at that point where she simply won't keep things in or on her hair.

The service this morning was hopeful and touching, though that sounds superficial and it was anything but. I felt the guilt of blowing off Easter weekend this year and intend to make it more special and important next year. It is the crux of who we are as Christians and should be celebrated in a much more significant and much less commercial way than Christmas. I won't get on my box tonight...but next year, a change is a comin'!

After service Lula and I headed home while Jay stayed for second service. She took a nice long nap after missing her morning one at church. Then we all headed over to Jay's mom's house for lunch and Easter festivities.

We had a delightful and very filling lunch. Lula opened her presents: a bear dressed as a bunny and a sweet egg-gathering bag from Pat; a new book, pajamas, and gift certificate from Nana and Papa Jack.Then we headed outside to gather some eggs. Lula actually tried to get some and we helped her put them in her bag. Then we all just relaxed outside in the grass for a little while. It was such a beautiful day. Lula filled and dumped her little bag. Finally we went inside for cake and ice cream, which Lula loved! Then the three of us headed home and crashed. It was a very nice day.

Almost One

It's hard to believe Lula will be one in two weeks. At the same time it seems like she's always been here and one seems like an insignificant number considering the significance of her little life. She is our joy and sunshine....even though she won't keep clips in her hair and is going through a clingy phase! And that's pretty much the update. This little lamb cracks us up on a regular basis with her constant laughter and funny sounds. She's still crawling and cruising. She LOVES Mollie....(still looking for a home for Maggie) And we love her more than the best cup of coffee on a cold winter morning. Happy almost Birthday, little love.

Lula Update

It's been a while since I've written about Lula. Lots of new things going on...she almost has two more teeth, bringing the total to 4! She looks like a little rabbit and it's adorable. She's also pulling herself up to standing on everything and this morning she walked all the way around the coffee table. This is called "cruising" for all those unfamiliar with all the baby terms! Although it doesn't seem much like cruising cause it's not very smooth! She's been torturing Maggie, which isn't much fun for me...still looking for a home for her...hint, hint!

She's still the greatest thing in the world, but much more active and hands-on. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep doing my job with her mobility, but I'll keep going until it's impossible.

My website www.lulainlondon.com is coming along beautifully. Jay and I worked on it last night and it looks amazing! I can't wait to get it up and running. You can see a few of the changes now, but it's not even close to what we've done. So keep checking back! I'll keep this blog for Lula updates, but everything else will be over there.

I've got several new things up on Etsy and there's more to come. My book...well, I'm trying, but all of these other projects are consuming most of my time even though I feel like my book is the most important. BUT, I feel and hope that once my website is up and running I'll be able to focus on the book more. So that's that!

OH...Lu's 1st bday is coming up...April 17... so save the date! That's something else on my to do list: plan the party!

I don't know how these pictures got so screwy! But anyway, here's my little Lu at 10 months old. I just think her little bum is so cute...especially in those jeans. There's also a couple of pictures of her modeling some Etsy items. And one of her in her downstairs "toy box". Best idea ever putting her toys in the bottom of the entertainment center. Makes it very easy to clean up and get back to the "adult look"!

Update

Just in case you didn't get the email...

I've been adding a few new items to my Etsy store and hope to continue doing so. If you haven't been in a while, visit www.lulainlondon.etsy.com.

I have also started my own website at www.lulainlondon.com. Soon I will begin blogging there about various and sundry things, but right now I am gathering information from moms of children 5 years and under to create an extensive, detailed page of measurements for those who like to sew, knit, crochet, etc. PLEASE HELP!!! If you are a mom or have friends who are, please go to www.lulainlondon.com and read more about this project. In return for your help, you can choose to be entered in a drawing to win items from Lula in London. The more information I have, the better the data will be. So please forward this on to your friends. The deadline for submissions is March 31, 2010. The results of the drawings will be posted soon after that in April, 2010.

Thanks so much for your help!

A Day in the Life...

5:45am - Roll out of bed and hop in shower. I need to wash my hair today, which means I probably won't get breakfast before Lula wakes up...This becomes a definite as I hear Lula start talking before I get in the shower.

6:15am - Leave bathroom with wet hair...Lula is now screaming...Run downstairs to fix her bottles, none of which are clean.

6:20am - Wash all bottles, fix Lula one, head back upstairs to feed her.

6:35am - Bring sloshy-bellied Lula downstairs for solids. Feed her yogurt.

6:40am - Jay comes downstairs to join us. He eats breakfast while Lu eats her yogurt.

6:45am - Jay takes Lula to change her diaper while I get my own yogurt.

6:50am - We all three sit down at the table so Jay can show me what to do next on building my website before he leaves for the day. Lula tries to destroy my website via pounding on the computer while I eat my yogurt.

6:52am - Wipe Lula's nose

7:00am - Jay starts my coffee while Lula plays with her toys and I make a piece of toast.

7:10am - Hang out in living room/kitchen until Jay leaves.

7:15am - Wipe Lula's nose

7:30am - Jay leaves for work. I finish my toast and fix my coffee.

7:40am - I sit on living room floor next to coffee table with computer while Lula plays with her toys.

7:40:05am - Wipe Lula's nose

7:41am - text Mom to see if she wants to skype; She's unavailable

7:42am - I sneeze; Lula starts crying.

7:45am - Begin downloading some music for Lula (found some great kids stuff in French and English)

7:50am - Wipe Lula's nose

7:55am - Lula crawls over to see what I'm doing. I put her on my lap while I continue downloading music. She grabs my mostly full coffee cup and pulls it over onto us and the rug. My reaction causes her to start screaming (it's almost nap time and she's still teething...doesn't take much to push her over the edge these days.)

7:56am - attempt to clean coffee off of table, rug, and myself while Lula continues screaming.

8:00am - Take Lula upstairs for a bath

8:15am - Gather laundry and sheets to take downstairs. Lula pulls all of her clothes out of her laundry basket.

8:35am - Put Lula down for a nap without her lambie, which is in the laundry.

8:36am - Take laundry downstairs and start to put in washer while Lula screams.

8:40am - Take dirty lambie back upstairs because Lula is still screaming. Wipe Lula's nose.

8:45am - Come back downstairs to start laundry.

8:55am - Go to bathroom, make more coffee, gather all my items (cell phone, monitor, computer, coffee) and head to comfy chair

9:00am - Take a deep breath

9:01am - Start writing this blog

9:20am - Stop writing blog, getting to work

9:23am - Editing blog...and now finally finished