Countdown to 3

As the countdown continues to Molly's 3rd birthday I find myself looking through my iphoto library. Is my baby really going to be 3? I swear, I just HAD her! These are some of my favorite pictures of Molly from her first year.

Newborn baby Molly...so sweet.

4 weeks old and so strong!

One of the first smiles I caught on camera. I took this picture of Molly in her pack and play at the office when she was 6 weeks old.

3 months old.

Before church on Christmas Eve. Molly was 4 months old.

5 months old

5 months old

6 months old

7.5 months old mastering plank!

8 months old and full of personality. She looks so much like Jack as a baby here.

My big girl! 9 months old and ready to walk!

Her 1st birthday invitation.

1 year old!

Rickrack, Modge Podge, Glue Guns....OH MY!

I am what one would call creative. I am not what you would call crafty. Now I do have moments of crafting genius....but these are few and far between. A few successes include:

Appliqued kid's t-shirts

Ribbon covered barrettes

Digital scrapbook templates

Hand painted t-shirts and jean jackets (this was back in my high school days)

Crocheted flowers

Incomplete or complete failure projects include:

any sewing project involving a pattern (selvadge, raw edge, bobbin=confusing. Seam ripper is the one thing I truly understand)

Fabric pom-poms (tried this one tonight....not good)

Stockings (really really bad)

Knitted ANYTHING!

You see, I have all these ideas running through my head all throughout the day (such as now....when I should be going to sleep) but I just cannot flip that damn creative switch off.

I go into places like Michael's or JoAnn's or Home Depot or even the back room at my mother's interior design studio (where piles and piles of fabric and trim await me) and my mind just starts racing. Hm....what can I do with this? or maybe I could do that? or wait a minute look at this....oh so cute I have to make something and I have to do it now!

This happened today when sorting through discontinued fabric samples at my mom's studio. I just could not bear to throw away a beautiful Brunschwig & Fils fabric that probably sold for $200/yd! (In fact, this particular fabric along with a darling Scalamandre will become twirly skirts for Molly. As soon as I can find a YouTube tutorial video) So many gorgeous fabric samples just beckoning to be pleated, sewed, braided, ripped, cut, appliqued, the list goes on and on (kind of like my brain). Seriously...I need a yellow legal pad (yellow, not white. White is boring) and one of my good pens (Sharpie Pen please) so I can start making a list of all the things I want to make!

I had a genius idea one day that I was going to start a side business called Creativeleigh. Now for those of you who still think my name is pronounced "Le-ah" this may not make any sense to you, but follow along. The tag line for Creativeleigh was "finishing the projects you never have time for" or something along those lines. But then I realized that I am my ideal customer. How can I help people when I can't even finish what I start! I have come to the conclusion that my problem isn't that I am not crafty. My problem is that I cannot seem to finish what I start and that may have something to do with having major ADHD and wanting to start a bizillion projects at once. So what I want, and I'm marking this on my list (another yellow legal pad please) of things I want to accomplish this year, is to start & finish & master a craft project. I want to be a proficient crafter. By the end of this year I will call myself crafty and have something to show for it. And there will be pictures....oh yes, there will be pictures!

My Jack

I have now re-written this post three times.....THREE TIMES PEOPLE (not sure if that should be plural or not, depending on how many are actually reading my blog).

So I'm going to forget trying to compose a post that will inspire, motivate, and cause hundreds to rise up and put my name in lights.......... and instead show some funny pictures of Jack which will either cause you to laugh out loud uncontrollably or cause you to scratch your head wondering what my child doing!

Mac Photobooth Self Portraits by Jack Love

All I keep thinking when I see this picture is "red rum....red rum".

Scared little boy Jack

Momma said knock you out!

It wasn't me!

Note to self

Add *new blog post* to this weeks to-do list!

1 sheep, 2 sheep, 3 sheep, 4 sheep......1305 sheep.....

I'm laying in bed trying my best to go to sleep, but I've got the Sunday night jitters. Anyone know what I'm talking about? For as long as I can remember I have always had trouble getting to sleep on Sunday nights. I always have so many thoughts running through my head about all the things i I need to accomplish for the week. Then my brain goes into overdrive thinking about what to fix the kids for breakfast in the morning (thank goodness for frozen waffles and yogurt), did I remember to pack Jack's backpack for camp, which has to include sunscreen, clean/dry towel, 2 swimsuits, goggles. 2 swimsuits and a towel everyday means I do a ton of freaking laundry because there is nothing worse than a mildewed smelling towel or swim trunks!

So just as I'm starting to drift off I realize...hey...I could write an entire blog post about the Sunday night jitters so here I am....awake....really awake....and typing. And while I'm typing I remember that I haven't made Jack's lunch for tomorrow. I really really really hate waiting to make it in the morning because it just throws off my entire morning routine. Yes, I am a very scheduled and routine oriented person and I LIKE IT THAT WAY. I follow the exact same shower sequence everyday and dry off in the exact same order everyday, moisturizer on the face then comb out my hair so moisturizer can dry a bit before applying makeup. Makeup is put on in the same order everyday. Kids are woken up and then their routines begin. I could go into real detail and tell you every little aspect of THE morning routine, but I don't want to scare you off on just my third blog post. I promise....I'll get more interesting and funny and maybe even make you laugh out loud.

As I dream about that "perfect" post that combines both humor and wit with perfect composition and grammar I remember that I didn't make his lunch the night before and that really throws a kink into my smooth morning. It can easily make the difference between leaving promptly at 8:20 or yelling at the kids "we're late...hurry up....come on...get in the car NOW....no you cannot drive Molly, get in your car seat now!....Jack did you get your lunch box? Get inside and get it NOW....we are running late...we have to leave NOW!" This is our summer time schedule. Come August when school starts our mornings will begin much earlier. Don't even get me started on thinking about this now because I am really enjoying the extra hour of sleep and somewhat flexible schedule of summer. So maybe now that I have all this out of my head and into this post I will be able to simply shut the lap top and drift quickly away to la la land without having to count 1306 sheep. nighty night.

Seriously? really? do I have to?

So a dear friend of mine started a blog.  Of course I had to open my big yap and say "oh yeah...I tried that once, but never could stick to it".  Then after hearing her cute blog name (theshinndigs...their last name is Shinn...see it's cute, I told you so) I decided to brag to her about my cute blog name...last name first actually creates a "lovely" word.  So then she tells me I added your blog to my list of faves so get to work!  So here I am.....trying to write my first post since oh...last September or something like that.  

Here I am.  Blog post #2.  Feeling a bit overwhelmed....scared.....silly.  Wondering what makes me think I can be even half the blogger those gals are who I read religiously.  Oh well I've got to start somewhere right so might as well jump right in and start with my usual rambling.  I invite you to join me just be forewarned that I suck at grammar and punctuation and math, although I'm not quite sure what math has to do with blogging but I thought I'd throw in that disclaimer anyway.  And yes, my parents paid private school tuition.....I'm so ashamed.

Oops never mind...So You Think You Can Dance is on right now.  I'll deal with you later BLOG!