SOS

L.J's hair is growing out and it's starting to look like Ralph Wiggum's.
L.J is cuter.
Way cuter.
Why am I even comparing her to a Simpson character?
My younger sister says I should turn the picture into a birthday card.
That made me LOL.

If you've noticed, yes, I'm still playing around with my layout.
I'm so frustrated.
For some reason, my post title font will only change with my body text font.
I DO NOT WANT THE POST TITLE FONT TO BE THE SAME AS THE BODY TEXT FONT!
I want the post title font to be the same as the date font.
I've seen blogs that have it that way.
I know it can be done.
Why won't it be done for me?!

Pillowcase Dress - Minus The Pillowcase

These pillowcase dresses are sooo adorable! But for $40+?

No, thank you.

Whenever I see something that I like, the first thing I do is wonder if I can make it myself.

I thought this was do-able, so I went in search for a pillowcase around my house.

With no luck.

I have a ton of pillows in space saver bags but no extra pillowcases?

I am cheap.

Hehe.

Anyway, I went to the fabric store and picked up a yard of seersucker fabric that was on sale and some matching grosgrain ribbon.

I went back home and did some

Googling and found this pillowcase tutorial . I followed the tutorial with a few tweaks of my own and in no time I was finished.

I was able to get a couple of pics in before my model decided to be a diva and throw a fit.

I think it came out just as cute as the boutique ones.

This dress didn't use up the whole yard that I got

and I could make 4 more.

That would be 5 dresses for less than $10.

Now that's music to my cheap ears.

Template Of Doom

I'm still trying to find a layout that I like.

I'm not HTML savvy so I'm not sure on how to make my own layout.

And finding a pre-made layout is hard work!

Hours upon hours of sifting through websites.

Ugh.

There are a ton of free layouts available, but none that fit my fancy.

There are some layouts that you can buy, but I'm on a budget,

so I'll wait until someone wants to donate their services.

Until then, I guess I'll still be sifting through websites,

waiting for the right layout to jump out at me.

Meet Delilah

Yay!

I got a new car yesterday!

Mr. A and I were entertaining the thought of getting a bigger car for awhile now (ever since I tried to shove L.J's wagon in a little space Giselle - my '08 Corolla - called a trunk).

We finally got our taxes done and our refund enabled us to go ahead and look around and see what was out there.

We went back to Toyota because of the sales they were having due to the recalls and ended up trading Giselle and getting into our new 2010 Toyota Highlander for 0% APR.

We couldn't pass that up, so we went for it.

And we couldn't be happier!

We ended up with the Sport Edition and now I finally have my sunroof!

What's really cool is that it came equipped with a camera for backing up safely.

But what makes this car perfect, is that L.J can now bring her wagon wherever she wants!

Attitude Adjustment

I dropped TLH off with her sorry excuse for a dad yesterday for her spring break, but not before she copped an attitude.

Over something as trivial as telling her to bring a jacket.

Her wearing a jacket is a constant fight in this house.

Let's be real.

Her attitude is a constant fight in this house.

I know that she's going through puberty and her hormones are all over the place,

but her bad attitude has been going on even before puberty hit.

She has major mood swings. She back talks. She's irritable.

She's overly sensitive.

Did I mention she has major mood swings?

She's constantly on restriction for her behavior.

Nothing seems to help.

Don't get me wrong.

I love her with all of my heart.

She's my baby girl.

She's not always bad.

She is a smart, independent, caring, funny, lovable girl.

She can be so sweet.

And when her behavior is good, I ease up on her and give in to whatever she might want at the time whether it be to go outside and play or to play a game on the computer.

But as soon as I ease up, she takes full advantage and expects everything again and then it's back to square one.

Mr. A says that I need to follow through on her restrictions.

I agree.

I'm doing better about it.

I talk to her dad about her behavior, but he just tells me that she doesn't behave badly at his house.

Hellooo.

That's because you give her whatever she wants.

TLH definitely knows how to play him.

She used to call him crying when she would be in trouble here and tell him I was being mean, but she would never tell him it was because of her behavior or something she might have done.

And he would never ask.

He would just baby her.

He still refers to himself in third person when talking to her.

"Daddy's going to pick you up this weekend."

"Daddy will buy you a new phone."

"Daddy will see what he can do."

Gag.

Knock. knock.

She's 11.

I understand that you don't see her as often as you'd like and that you miss her and that you want her to know that you love her.

Blah, blah, blah.

She needs guidance. She needs discipline. She needs love.

And not the kind that you buy.

My mom says she's confused about how to behave around the both of us because it's two totally different lifestyles.

She suggested we make an appointment with the Dr. to talk about her behavior and to see how we can learn how to deal with each other and how to handle situations.

We see the Dr. next week.

I hope this will help make a new change in the right direction.

For everyone.

Happy 9 Months

L.J is 9 months old today!

Where did the time go?

Wasn't it just yesterday that I brought her home?

Let's see...

Her new thing is screaming and bucking when she knows it's time to sit in the highchair.

I don't know what it is, but as soon as I try to sit her in there,

she throws a fit. I sing and dance and pretty

much make an ass of myself

act as silly as I can just so I can buckle her in.

Trying to put the tray on is another story.

And as soon as I get a bib on, she rips it right back off.

But, I will persevere. I refuse to chase after that girl to feed her.

She is still crawling with a vengeance.

She walks with a walker.
She can stand for a few seconds at a time.

She can get into a standing position from a sitting position on her own.

She can clap, but only when she wants.

She gives kisses.

She responds to her name.

She's eating finger foods and loves table food.

She loves baths.

She loves books and reading.

She plays ball.

She can turn lights on and off.

She doesn't have any teeth yet, but I think she's teething because she has been so fussy.

My fussy, curious, whiny, loving, lovable, sweet, beautiful, happy little lady L.J.

I ♥ you.

Face Paint

While us girls were busy playing in the new playhouse,

Mr. A was busy painting the ceiling in our second garage.

I think he should have used a mask.

Felt Playhouse

I had no idea felt playhouses existed until I stumbled across this one.
It is just too adorable!
Jill has got mad sewing skills. I can only wish to have her talent.
Maybe I'll see a shooting star tonight...

Anyway, to get in some sewing machine practice, I thought I'd try making a felt playhouse for my girls and I'm sooo ecstatic with the way it turned out!

There is a squirrel template made by Matsutake
but TLH drew this one.
She did an awesome job!


I used yellow mesh for the sun so there would be some kind of
air flow and
for the sun's rays I "ruffled" ribbon.
I love that it gave another texture to the playhouse.


My sewing machine comes with 50? decorative stitches and when I made the little dresses hanging on the clothesline, I got a little fancy and tried a couple of them out.

I copied got the inspiration for the basket (and a couple of other things) from an Etsy store I happened to find while Googling.
I love that the basket is useful and holds the clothespins.
And how cute are the blue and white pins?

TLH's favorite panel was this one. She couldn't stop awww'ing over the dog.

I am very delighted that they love playing in their new felt playhouse!
My next project is to make them felt food to have picnics in the playhouse with.
What else am I going to do with all the mountains of felt I have leftover?

No Sleeping Beauty

L.J hasn't been able to take a good nap the past two days because
Rocco will start barking - for no reason - and

scare the crap out of her

startle her awake.
And he's a lap dog which means his bark is more of an
annoying as hell yap.
I'm sitting here all irraz,
rolling my eyes just thinking about it.
Now, every night during her last feeding, she's on the brink of sleep.

I Heart My Hapa Girls

TLH: Will L.J get darker or will she stay white?

Mumu : What do you mean?

TLH: Well, I can tan. When I was younger I was white but now I'm brown like wood.

Mumu : Like wood?

TLH : If I stood in front of wood and closed my eyes and not smiled, I would be camouflaged.

XOXO

L.J was giving out kisses all through dinner!

And we were taking them as fast as she could pucker those lips!

Except, she doesn't pucker.

She leans in with her tongue sticking out as if to lick you.

She's An Iams Girl

I was putting away L.J's toys and trying to clear a spot in the living room for her humongous bouncer when I noticed that L.J was being extremely quiet. I turned my head and she was no longer where I sat her. I went to the kitchen and there she was. Sitting next to Rocco and his food bowls. I automatically stuck my fingers in her mouth and just as I suspected, I pulled out 3 pieces of dog food. She had them stowed away in her cheeks like a chipmunk. She had another in her hand and was ready to pop that one in. She gave me a big smile and I knew then that she was fine. I am sooo grateful that she didn't swallow any of it.

Last Friday, a friend of mine lost her one year old son to an accidental tub drowning. I can't even begin to imagine what it's like to lose a child, but when I heard about it, my heart grew heavy and the tears wouldn't stop flowing. As much as we are always cautious and making sure our babies are safe, accidents do happen. RIP Connor Bower.

*The picture was taken after the dog food fiasco was taken care of.

Mini Mania

Mr. A's oldest brother and his wife rolled up in our driveway this afternoon with a sweet new whip to replace the decades old Merc they had before a deer decided to get in The Aung's path on her way home. I'm happy she's in one piece, but I'm even happier that she finally got a new car! If anyone deserved a new car, it was her.

Other than the ride to the fabric store she gave me, I'll be looking forward to cruisin' with her again and whistling at cute boys car dancing to one of her two CD's!

Just A Little Tease

I saw this felt playhouse and thought it was the cutest thing!

I started working on my version last night and

continued throughout the day and, wow, it's a lot of work!

Not really, it was just a bitch pain in the butt

to sew all the leaves on.
My biggest fear is that all the panels

won't match up when I go to piece it together.
Here is a little sneak peek of what I've finished so far...

Oh, No! Rice Again?

Went to the allergist today and found out that I'm allergic to most of the foods that I eat on a daily basis. Apples and bananas? Sweet potatoes? I have 3 huge sweet potatoes on the counter waiting for me to get down on those bad boys. But the one thing that really blows my mind is that I'm allergic to, get this...
RICE!

I'm filipino!
Filipino's have rice in their veins!
My mom raised us on rice.

When my friends asked what I ate for breakfast,
I didn't say, "Eggs and bacon."

No, I said, "Chocolate rice."

When I wanted a dessert, I wasn't given a piece of cake.

No, I was given sugared rice.

When I needed glue for a project,
my mom didn't run to the store to buy glue.

No, she made rice and told me to mash it up really good.

I guess that's what I'll have to do with all the
rice I have in my pantry.

Send TLH to school with lumpy art projects.

Not Just For The Bees

I was laying in bed just now when, suddenly, I broke out into hives.

It started on both my wrists,

my left shoulder blade and my left ass cheek

all the way down to the bend of my knee.

I slathered eczema cream everywhere and it seemed to help with my ass and wrists.

My shoulder, on the other hand, has worsened.

My entire back is covered in hives.

I have an appointment with an allergist on Thursday and the lady I spoke with on the phone

told me not to take any antihistamines 3 days prior to my visit.

Great.

I'd post pics, but trust me, you do not want to see this nastiness.

Use Protection

Spring is here!

And that can only mean one thing in our home.

Soccer!
TLH had her first game

last Saturday and her team was able to make one goal

before the game ended.

The final score :

LadyBugs - 6, Team 2 - 1

First, let me just start by saying that the girls

need a team name.

Why they don't have one yet

boggles my mind.

When you're on the sidelines,

it's nice to cheer and scream out the team's name.

Especially when you haven't memorized all the girls' names.

Anyway,

I think they played decently considering they had only one practice

and that practice didn't consist of all the players.

TLH played goalie

the second half of the game and she did really well.

She had one really great block that she was proud of.

She didn't have gloves on so she was

blocking bare handed. OUCH!

The opposing goalie had gloves and I was

tempted

to walk over to the ref and be "one of those parents" who

swears, yells and starts swinging calls the game unfair

and causes a scene.

By the time we got home from the game,

TLH had battle wounds on her forearms.

Maybe their team name should be "The Bruisers".

An Organized Mess

My dining table is a complete disaster.

I have nowhere to keep my sewing machine, or the accessories, so they have conveniently made its home on

the biggest table in the house.

I have several projects going on at once

(it's the Scorpio in me)

and I finally finished one that I started - the same day!

Can I just mention that when L.J saw me with camera in hand, she sat straight up and smiled her biggest smile!

She struck her first pose!

Ahem, excuse me. Can someone please get me an

application for the next

Gerber Baby?

Continuing on, I'm sure you've figured out

what L.J is modeling for everyone.

When she would crawl on the floor bare knee'd,

her poor little knees would get so red.

I tried putting wristbands on her knees

but they would just slide off

so I decided to make her baby knee pads.

I gave up on breastfeeding because I wasn't producing enough milk so I had all these breast pads laying around begging to be used. I doubled up on the pads, wrapped some leftover fabric around it

and sewed them all together. I sewed on some elastic and

now she can crawl all she wants and be boo-boo free.

Speaking Of Treasures...

Mr. A came home late last night with presents in hand!

After much needed XOXO's,

he gave me my gift and my heart melted.

I absolutely ♥ it!

It never dawned on me that, because I have a lucky cat, a cherry blossomed pig and a "swear" pig piggy bank, I was a collector of them. You know me better than I know myself, Mr. A.

The girls didn't get their gifts until the next morning.

Everytime we go out of town without TLH, we always bring her back an "...And All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt" shirt and she loves getting them. Finding one of those novelty shirts with a bear wearing it was the icing on the cake! TLH also got a kick out of L.J's bib with the same saying. The hat was a big hit as well. You did good, Mr. A! We're so happy you're home!

N 32.80677 / W 83.819724

As the website states, geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online.

We were first introduced to geocaching from friends and after our first find, back in 2007, we were hooked. TLH loved when she would find the cache first and she loved looking inside the canister or ammo can to see what goodies she could trade with. We haven't been geocaching in over a year but I caught the bug again and, even though Mr. A was tired, we decided to go treasure hunting today. It would also be L.J's first time! I looked up 3 cache's that would be within a few miles of our neighborhood and we headed out. I haven't used the handheld GPS in awhile so it took a minute of me telling Mr. A he needed to turn left before he let me know that the lines on the screen weren't roads but just the direction we needed to be in. I, then, let him know that we needed an upgrade because it would be alot easier navigating when there are roads involved. It went on that way for a few more minutes before we arrived at our first location. The terrain wasn't bad so I was able to carry L.J along for this find. It was a fairly easy find and, of course, TLH found it first.

She opened it up and rummaged through the container before trading a monkey keychain for a geocache chip.

Mr. A signed the log and we were off to the next location. The GPS led us to a geocache that we actually have found before. Since we were already there, we decided to go ahead and hunt it to let TLH trade for some new swag. It was a heavily wooded area so I ended up staying in the car with L.J and wait while they went on the hunt. A few minutes later, they were walking back to the car and TLH had another treasure in hand.

The last location we ended up going to was a place TLH knew well. The trail happened to be in the neighborhood where her BFF used to live. While we were following the GPS's directions, TLH was telling us stories of the things her and her BFF did during sleepovers. Her stories made me wish I was a kid again!

This cache happened to be hidden off the trail so I handed L.J off to big sis and Mr. A and I stepped over and ducked under some little trees, looked behind a bigger tree and found the container.

There wasn't much swag in the container to choose from. There was a patch and a Napoleon Dynamite pen so I opted for the pen. TLH was pretty happy about that.

We walked back to the car feeling a sense of accomplishment and we headed home, with treasured memories.

Welcome Home

Mr. A comes home tonight! I've noticed that my bed is sooo much colder when he's not in it with me. I even had to turn the heat up the other night. I can't sleep without him so I my solution was to stay up way past my bedtime until my eyes were droopy just so I wouldn't lay there missing him. Last night I stayed up making a "bumper" for the brick hearth to baby proof it a bit. It turned out to be just a little too ambitious for me. After looking for a way to baby proof the hearth I found a picture that someone took of their hearth with a crib bumper around it. I read the directions but I took it a step further. I thought I would be able to make my own crib bumper. I needed Mr. A there to tell me to come back down to earth. The only "fun" part of making this was watching Rocco go in circles before finding him a comfy spot on the batting.

Anyway, this is my half-assed version. We'll see how well it works by how many hospital visits L.J might need.

Sorry for the lack of photos. These were the only ones I was able to take before my camera decided to die.

The Hangover 2

Mr. A left for a 4 day bachelor party in Vegas. Yes, 4 days. Yup, in Vegas. I feel I don't have anything to worry about because there isn't a big group of guys on this trip. It's actually just Mr. A and the Groom. The BFF's. (I tease Mr. A about him and the Groom being in a bromance.) I'm just hoping they don't wake up in the morning with a tiger in the bathroom or with one of them missing a tooth.

Win big, Mr. A! Mama needs a new pair of shoes!

So Yummy! So Yummy!

There is so much fruit in the house right now that I'm afraid of it spoiling before we get to eat it. Mr. A had a great idea of purchasing a food dehydrator a couple of years ago so I decided to put it to use before we ended up wasting his hard earned money. I thinly sliced some pears and popped them in the dehydrator and 12 hours later there was a party in my tummy!

I wonder if you can dehydrate cantaloupe?

Tutu Cute

After seeing a professional photograph of a baby girl wearing a tutu, I knew I wanted to get a tutu for L.J to wear for her 1st birthday pictures. I found an online store selling baby tutu's but I thought I could do just as good a job making one so I Googled directions, bought the materials and started knotting away. TLH couldn't be left out so I made her a tutu as well. I thought it looked a little more "grown up" with the hot pink and black color combination. I'm pretty pleased with the way they came out. You really can't mess up which makes it the perfect DIY project for me!

2Cool4School

It turns out that TLH went from having a bad cold to having walking pneumonia. I've come to realize that when she gets sick she never gets better unless she sees a Dr. She usually doesn't mind going to see the Dr. but this visit she actually said she had fun. The Dr. ordered an x-ray of her chest and when she came back to the room she went on about having to do silly poses while they took pictures of her. She was diagnosed and we left with prescriptions and a Dr.'s note with two days rest in hand.

Today is her first day back to school since returning from her class trip. I just hope all the other kids that were sick are all better so she doesn't have to go through this again. You know, taking the fun x-ray and getting to stay home for two days. Mom's take away all the fun.

This Is Going To Be A Big Hit At The Party (No Pun Intended)

Moose A. Moose never looked so cute! I have never made a pinata, nor have I ever paper mache'd before in my life, so I'm really excited that this pinata came out as good as it did!

While doing research for a Moose A. Moose themed party and finding that I would have to make everything due to lack of merchandise featuring the "mascot" of Nick Jr., I came across a picture of a Moose A. Moose pinata! After finding the instructions, I set out to make him.

I followed the directions to the tee and it was fairly easy. I thought I would have the hardest time trying to make the mold out of chicken wire, but that was probably the easiest step (minus the scratches I did obtain trying to piece his nose together). I didn't even get help from Mr. A.



As I mentioned earlier, I have never paper mache'd before in my life so I didn't know where to start. I made my paste by mixing flour into boiling water and it worked out very well. Working with the paste while warm was so much better than working with a cold, sticky mess. I thought TLH would want to help with this part but I was wrong. She stuck her hand in the goo and said 'No, thanks.' To be such a tomboy, she was being a priss about getting her hands dirty.



Once all the paper mache was dry and Moose was assembled, it was time to bring him to life. I had a difficult time finding brown streamer so I broke down and ordered it on eBay (I hate paying for shipping). I cut the streamers 3/4 of the way through and spray glued it on. Before I knew it, I was drawing his eyes and mouth and calling it a day.



Thanks to Anthony Rocchio for posting instructional photos. If it weren't for your post, there would be no pinata at the party.