Hat for Monsters Vs. Aliens

I thought it might be fun to throw together a hat for Sydney to wear tomorrow when we see Monsters vs. Aliens. So I introduce you to the blue, one-eyed monster hat. We have family coming to celebrate with us. It should be fun to see it in theaters and see everybody else's reaction to the film Shane worked on for so long. Plus it is always exciting to see his name up on the big screen (yes we are some of those weirdos who stay through the credits.) If you get a chance to see it let me know what you think. The reviews are pretty good but I like knowing what other people think not just critics. I know the pictures are a bit redudant but Sydney was just being so cute I had to post more than one.

Amy Butler Inspiration

Another amazingly talented girl I love is Amy Butler. I just purchased her book Little Stitches and it is full of fun sewing projects for babies ranging from beginner to intermediate. Now that we know we are having a girl I am very excited to start creating things from this book. My head is filled with all sorts of ideas for the new baby and for the girls' room.


I also discovered today that Amy is releasing a new set of home sewing projects. I like the idea of releasing projects on CD. While I do enjoy having a hard copy, like a book, to flip through, it will be a space saver in digital form. There are lots of fun projects that I would love to add to the girls' room over time. Like those adorable cushions in the above picture.

It's a girl!

This picture isn't from today but I couldn't post without a picture so here's Sydney's excited face.

I know I haven't officially announced it here but we are pregnant. Today we found out we are having a girl! I was feeling like it might be a boy so I was surprised by the news. Sydney however has been praying for a baby sister so she is ecstatic with the news. She walked all the way to the car yelling "WAHOO." She also keeps telling Shane and me that when the baby grows up they will be twins. We have tried to explain that as the baby grows up she will keep growing but to no avail. In her sweet mind they will be twins. We did get an ultrasound picture but our scanner has quite working so you will have to imagine your average black and white, fuzzy ultrasound picture. If you look at the previous post you can catch a glimpse of the growing baby bump. :) So we will soon be a family with two girls! Shane is so outnumbered.

Monsters Vs. Aliens

Image stolen, I mean borrowed from here.

This past weekend we were able to go to the crew premiere of Monsters Vs. Aliens. This is the film that Shane worked on for about 10 months. It was so excited to finally see after hearing about it for almost a year. I loved it. It really turned out to be a great family film and also really funny. I was worried how Sydney would do with the 3D glasses and if it would give me a headache (especially since I went into the theater with one) but neither was a problem. We usually determine how Sydney liked a film by how many potty breaks she takes and I am happy to say this was the first time she didn't take any! I hope you all enjoy the film too. I am so proud of you Shane! Great work to you and everybody who worked on it.

Her own style

Sydney has begun dressing herself lately. The picture above is her a couple weeks ago. We are finding out that her taste is very eclectic, to say the least. She is also big on layering which is fine for winter; however, today I had to explain that she had on way too many clothes for the warm 77 degree weather outside. I guess at 3 1/2 she didn't realize that leggings, a skirt, a dress, a tank top, and a thick wool sweater were too much to play outside in the sun.

Great Morning Tradition

Amanda Soule is so inspiring to me as a mother. I love her book The Creative Family and I am looking forward to reading her newest book soon too. Her blog post today really touched me. She talks about setting up an activity for the kids before she heads to bed. Then when the kids get up they have a fun way to start the day. What a great way to start our days on a positive note and encourage our kids to be active either with an art project or fun activity. I am looking forward to trying this out with Sydney some times.

I remember growing up that my mom would surprise us with lavishly decorated dinner tables for different holidays. I have distinct memories of arriving home after school to find an array of Valentine or Saint Patrick's Day treats overflowing the table in the kitchen. It is these little things that we do as parents that make the biggest impression. A little forethought and planning goes along way in our children's eyes. So whether it is preparing something for the morning, after nap-time, or after school think of something fun to surprise your family with this week.

New Tablecloth

I love the rainy weather and the coolness of winter as it turns into spring. I thought the house could use a little revamp. I think I am just tired of the same old stuff around our apartment so I purchased some of Anna Maria Horner's new oilcloth. It is beautiful and I love how it livens up our apartment. Add a little color to the 'mantel,' which is really just the top of our television cabinet, and I feel a little more cheer.