Wow! Huge Catch-up!

34/365

Cousin Time! Lilli always has so much fun with Alyssa!

35/365

Pretzel Face! Once again, playing with playdough, always trying to be creative!

36/365

Homemade Famous Bowls (mashed potatoes, corn, gravy, chicken, and cheese)! Yummy!

37/365

Seeing Spots! Lilli's new bed covers! Matches perfectly with the mobile that I made for her before she was born! Love how it all goes together perfectly!

38/365

V-day present from Brandon and Lilli - a new camera strap! Love it! So cute, soft, and chic!

Lilli's new love - Having fun at the playground!

39.1/365

Slide...

40.1/365

Beautiful dress on a beautiful girl!

40.2/365

Look at those eyes!!!

Sorry, I got a little behind in posting with traveling and all, but nonetheless, I continued taking pictures. I foresee this happening again (frequently), but hopefully, I'll continue taking the pictures!!

Pow!

33/365

It's so nice to have someone around the house to help with Lilli while I have to do the mundane tasks like cooking dinner after a long day at work! Tonight, Lilli and Liz were playing Pow! Apparently, to play, one must get two little stuffed animals (think: beanie babies), have a good set of lungs and a nice throwing arm. Next, you chuck the animals at each other as hard as you can (if you're Lilli) all while yelling, "POW!!!" So, there you go and now you can play Pow! Don't you feel so much more enlightened?!

Ramblings

29/365

I guess because Lilli has been read to since before she was born, she loves to read books. Every day, she pulls out a ton of books and reads to her babies or to me. She has several books memorized down pat. I mean, to the letter, she can quote them! It's awesome! And I guess this is the teacher in me - she even reads them with the same inflection in her voice that I use! It's the cutest thing ever!

30/365

Oh, how my school kiddos crack me up! Apparently one of them got a lot of shirts for Christmas with some really cute sayings! This one, along with the previous picture of a shirt about high energy, is very true of this little girl. I wish everyone had the chance to meet my darling dears. They zap me of energy, but I love them!

31/365

Lilli found some socks in Liz's room the other day and (with her permission) put them on! Of course they were huge on her and looked like snow bunny boots! She loved prancing around in them. When she took them off, she put them back in Liz's room - where they were supposed to be. Tonight, we had to ask Lilli to show us where she put the socks since Liz couldn't find them herself! Fortunately, Lilli remembered right where she had put them - in a box of camp stuff - right where they belong!

32/365

I'm still amused about Lilli's obsession with lining things up, but she did it again with her babies! She has also named all of her babies (with some assistance from us). From left to right: Bella, Kate, Tyler, Penelope, Sally, Sassy, Minnie, Olivia, Grayson, Jasmine, Alex, Frella, Cinderella, and Shay!

A few days worth!

26/365

Saturday, it was absolutely gorgeous outside! I can't believe that just a couple of weeks ago we were iced in for a few days. Saturday was a teaser though...looking forward to spring!

27.1/365

Drip, drip, drip...

27.2/365

Drop, drop, drop...

27.3/365

SPLASH!!!

28/365

It's not too often that I get my picture in the picture of the day, but here it is. We were playing playdough and having a great time this afternoon. We tried calling Papa T for his birthday, but couldn't get a hold of him right then. Every time the voicemail would pick up, Lilli would start talking. She didn't quite get the concept of it!

Things that make me SMILE!

24/365

After a really long hard day, but before I went to another meeting, I decided to treat myself to a Sonic lemon-berry slush. I thought to myself, "Self, you deserve it today and you deserve it even more since it's happy hour!!" I never get to go to Sonic during happy hour seeing that they are during the school day... I treated myself during the meeting then when I picked up Bug, she treated herself!! So it was a win--win all the way around!

25/365

And the wonderful husband of the year award goes to...drum roll please...MY HUBBY! He's so awesome! Knowing how stressed things have been lately at school, he showed up today, at school, all dressed up, looking so dashing, and gave me these! Aren't they pretty!? I love them...I LOVE HIM!! Thanks for all you do baby!

Hmmm...

22/365

Why is my child so OCD?! I walked into our room last night and this is how I found our shoes...lined up at the door. She's all about lining things up right now. Again, today she had to make a block train with all the colored letters facing up! Does anyone else's kid do this?!

23/365

Lilli loves Maggie and Maggie loves Lilli. Maggie is so good with her, pulling on her and pushing on her. (ps - thank you Maggie...I know you don't have to be this good!) They're always into something. As I took this picture, they both looked up at me as if to say, "Who me?! I wasn't doing anything!!" Guilty!

Monday, Monday

I have a busy few weeks coming up at school and needless to say, I have a little stress. However, the best stress relief is laughter. And believe you me, there's laughter in the Reddock household (most of the time)! I mean, how can you not laugh when your child is so OCD about some things and not others?!

19.1/365

19.2/365

How can you not laugh when your little princess dresses you up and asks, "Mommy's a princess, too?!"

20/365

And how can you not laugh when laughter is radiating from your beautiful child's eyes?

21.1/365

21.2/365

I'm so happy to call her mine!

Stuck Like Glue!

18/365

When Brandon gets home after being gone all week, I don't think you could get a crowbar between Lilli and her daddy! I love it and wouldn't change it - well, maybe the simple fact that he's gone all week - yes, I would definitely change that. Soon though, soon! The light isn't a train anymore!

Poor Poor Mary...

17/365

Lilli learned a lesson tonight...Mommy was right! If you leave toys out, Maggie will eat them... As you can see, Maggie got a hold of Mary, and well, now Mary is on her way to the Augusta landfill come Monday (her choice). Sad day around the doll house...

M'm! M'm! Good!

16/365

I decided to try something nice and easy tonight for dinner - good 'ole tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches! Knowing that the Bug loves tomatoes, but not sure how she'd take to tomato soup, I thought it was worth a shot! She took one bite and then another and proudly exclaimed, "Mommy, this is so tasty!" A few more bites and another, "Mommy, Lilli loves tomato soup!" Another few messy slurps and , "This is perfect!" Can I tell you how much it warms my soul to hear my 2-year-old say, "This is tasty!" - more than a bowl of warm tomato soup on a chilly evening! Dinner was fun (kind of a rarity around here these days)! She turned the bowl up and finished it clean!! I love this little girl! She makes me laugh!

Don't Jump!!!

15/365

Lilli loves playing with her doll house! She loves marching them up the stairs, giving them baths, dancing, putting them to bed, and making them jump out the second story window. I'm really not sure why all of Lilli's dolls have to go out the second story window, but they do! Every single one though goes out the window! Looks like daddy is hangin on!! **Note to self: do NOT put Lilli's bedroom on the second story...

Catch up!

11.1/365

My little girl is SUCH a little girl!! And I LOVE IT! I love the fact that she twirls and spins and pretends that she is a ballerina!

11.2/365

Can I say how much my little girl is smitten with her daddy?! Only she could get him to do something like this. Can I also say how much I am smitten with her daddy?! I love him for doing this with her!

12/365

She got her second haircut...ever! Yes, she's a few months over 2 and has just now gotten her second haircut. But, man, the curls are coming in!!! She was playing with Papa T's suggin' before getting her hair cut - my little gangsta' baby!

13.1/365

13.2/365

Lilli loves helping me cook, but for one reason or another, we have never done these kind of cookies. I'm not exactly sure why! She loved baking with Ma Fi. By the way, I'm not sure how to spell the name she has given my mom yet. It's supposed to me Mama G, but comes out Ma Fee, almost like mafia, but without the -uh on the end. Any ideas?!

14/365

After all the hoopla this weekend, today was kind of dreary. It drizzled for the majority of the day. It doesn't really help my emotions for the weather to be like this when everyone is having to leave (parents, Brandon). Oh, but it's a short week - praise God for that...I WILL make it! I WILL!!!

Warning!

10/365

This is my day, every day! When my students arrived today, one of them was wearing this shirt! I cracked up laughing and knew that this had to be my picture today! This is all day at school, then most days, I feel like Lilli can wear this shirt at home! Needless to say, I'm tired at the end of the day!

What To Do?!

9/365

This is what I want my list to look like...sometimes it does, most of the time it doesn't!!! What does your list look like? I want to make the most of my time and be productive. Juggling work, family, housework, etc is hard? Any suggestions?!

Yum-O Thrown Together Veggie Beef Soup

8/365

I had a notion to try something new today. Not that vegetable beef soup is new, by any means, but I have never made it before, so in essence, it's new! I had no clue what I was doing, just throwing things in the pot and hoping for the best. VIOLA! Maybe one day, I'll get to the point of taking pictures of the entire process, but I confess, I'm not there yet. Not to mention, you would be bored to tears watching me open can after can and dumping them in the pot. So, tonight, you get the recipe - pay attention closely, it's kind of all over the place!!

Lexy's Yum-O Thrown Together Veggie Beef Soup (it's thick so I guess...Stew)

1 stick of butter

2 packets of beef bullion seasoning

About that much garlic powder

About that much seasoning salt

A little less than that much pepper

2 heaping, heaping tbs of flour

1 can of tomato soup

2 cans of water

1 can of corn (water and all)

1 can of peas (water and all)

1 can of green beans (drained - not sure why)

Several handfuls of cut, raw carrots

2 chopped potatoes

1 lb of cooked ground beef

Melt the butter, add all the spices and flour. Stir together and brown. Add tomato soup and water. Then start dumping the rest. Taste, add some more pepper, taste, add some more garlic...Just taste and make sure it's just right! The longer it cooks, the thicker it gets! Settle in and enjoy it with some cornbread! Yum-O!

Snow Day

So, last night was kind of a hard post for me to put out there for a few reasons, some of which I had no idea were happening. First of all, can I just say how much I hate it when Brandon has to leave for school?! Hang on, I HATE IT! There, I said it. Well, last night was one of those nights where he had to leave...bleh. Ok, anyway, we knew the bad weather was coming in, and the plan was for him to leave and beat the ice. Anyway, he left and I wrote the post about loving family time, blah, blah, blah. Then, around 10:30, he calls and says that he is ok, but slid off the road and into the guardrail. He constantly reassured me that he was fine and he made it to a hotel not too far away, but it still didn't make me feel any better. All I wanted was to be with him at that moment. I wanted for Lilli and her baby doll and me to pile up on Brandon and be like we had been a few hours earlier. I wanted things to be normal again. I knew he was fine, but I just kept thinking "what if?" I didn't even want to go there... Calm my anxious heart, O God...please! Here's a picture of the truck - he said it was just enough damage to make him mad, nothing else.

Now, since I'm refusing to let that be my picture for today, here's another one.

7/365

Much better, don't you think?! I do! Unfortunately, since Brandon was snowed in and not with us, Lilli and I decided to do a pile up of our own! We obviously had a snow day today - WOO HOO! We had a couple of inches of snow, but it was a lot of ice, too. Nonetheless, we had a good time! Lilli is probably starting to think that snow is a regular thing around here! We had a good time playing, and when it was all said and done, we warmed up with some yummy hot chocolate! We get another snow day tomorrow, but it's all because of the ice that's everywhere! We'll be tucked in tomorrow - safe and sound and warm!

Pile Up

6/365

I love times like these! Don't you? The world just seems right. Everyone is in one place, safe and happy (Lilli really was happy, despite the hum-drum face)! I love my family and I love it when we're spending time like this!!

It's going to be OK, Mommy

5/365

I realized today that parenting is hard. OK, so maybe it wasn't today that I came to this realization, but nonetheless, it was there today! I'm not sure why I broke down today, but I did. I guess it's just hard right now. Lilli has hit an interesting age - 2! Cuteness though: Today, as I broke down I went to the bathroom to cry. Lilli was playing a puzzle with Brandon and told him, "Hold these (puzzle pieces), I'll be back." With that, she ran to the bedroom, opened the door, and found me in the bathroom, washing my face. She said, "Mommy, you OK?" When I said, "Mommy's OK baby," I gave her a hug and she patted me on the back and said, "It's going to be OK, Mommy. It's going to be OK."

Why does it take a 2-year old to tell me that it's going to be OK? Seriously?!

For ages 3+

4/365

Lilli was begging for bubbles tonight. As Brandon got them out and opened them for her, he said, "Hmm...these are recommended for ages 3+." Apparently, they haven't met Lilli! What do they know?! I would like to know where they come up with the recommended ages for things. How do they test for things like this? Who funds the research? Do you ever find yourself wondering useless things like this? Maybe not, but somehow I don't think I'm alone!!