Compartmentalized

Charlie has been gone the past couple of days and I have been walking around the house, sweeping through the bedrooms, running to get the phone on the other end, and although I have always said this house is just too small for us, suddenly it feels SO big.

And it is full of stuff.

I can't imagine how I am going to organize this family of four into such a small living space. Everything has to count.
Only the essentials...
Have you seen us packed for a 2 week trip?
Everything is essential!

I plan to recreate these adorable little bookshelves in the girls room.


If anybody has any ideas or advice to share, I am totally open to it!

Happy Birthday Mama!

I was thinking maybe I could use some perfume or a new bike, but this is cool, too.

I wonder what we'll name her...

For those of you who don't already know, we have taken the plunge for a full-time RV road life with the girls for the next year or so as Charlie travels his territory for 50 Below. This way we don't have to do without him for half the month or more, and we all get to experience the California Coast.

We figure the girls are at the perfect age to do something like this...

A slide out living area, european kitchen, and canopy over the cab.
Charlie and I will sleep up there, and we will be pulling out the furniture and revamping the living space.

We also plan to maximize outdoor living space.

Big changes are in store for this room as we outfit it for the girls. I am excited about the design challenges for this room and how we plan to attack them for maximized storage and child safety.

I can't wait to show you the afters...

Shower on the left, bathroom on the right. And that little door right there shuts off the hallway/bathroom and bedroom if you want, so we won't disturb Madee at night when we stay up later than her.

Oh, the design possibilities - my head is swimming with ideas and measurements and catalogs right now...

First of all, we should be moved in and on the road before the end of the month. Second of all, this blog will be moving to Family Sized Fun, and our travels, encounters and the documentation of mundane and special things we do will be logged there with the purpose of organizing it all into a lovely travel companion/coffee table book/bathroom reader by the time we are done.

At the very least, it is something we can share with you.

Are we crazy? No more than last week.
Are we excited? You have no idea.

Welcome to our version of "taking it up a notch!"

It's Family Sized Fun!

Recent Art and Sauciness

We have been making more craft projects lately. Madee loves to do new art stuff, so it is fun to wind her up and let her go.

I spent a few days dying pasta pieces for glue and string projects.

The first pasta picture.

The other night Bela came over while we went out for birthday dinner at Scusa. When we came home, Madee was so proud to show me this.

Cute little rocker.


Eden will be moving out of her swing before you know it. As it is, you have to make sure she is bolted in or she may try to escape.

We have a couple of close calls.

Eden's saucy exerciser. She loves to do stuff!

I've got some cute kids...

All is quiet for a moment in our household. I love these sweet sleepy silent times. Grampa Derv left yesterday and we had such a nice time with him.

It was hard for Madee to say goodbye. She loves her Grampa.

It was hard for me to say goodbye, too. Grampa was very good at getting Eden down for morning naps.

Lucky for me Daddy is good at it too.

Miss Ida is so busy lately. She goes from station to station exercising her legs and practicing sitting and standing in her little baby play areas. She is so giddy and squealy and silly. It is very entertaining to watch her.


She is really teething right now, and the drool production is stunning. I've never seen anything like it.

She has also been sleeping in her crib more, which means Dad moved back in the bed. Just in time for the chilly nights...good timing little Ida!


Madee and I spend time offering her little toys to grasp and chew on. I haven't bought her many things, since we already had so many baby items from Madee, but I did purchase her this wooden teether. Charlie makes fun of it and calls it her "expensive retro hippie trendy teether".

I call it "Portland".

Ida calls it "Yum!"
There are so many times throughout the day that the sister lay together and giggle and coo. I think we did a good thing for them. They just seem so good together.

Zoose.

Pretty Brown Eyed Girl

My favorite thing she does right now? Say "Yaaayyyyy!" when she is happy about something.
Oh. And of course toddler dance party.
She's got all the right moves.

Madee can totally say "Eden." But ask her who this is?

"IIII-DA!"

Ida thinks her sister is hilarious. Madee loves it when Ida laughs and smiles and coos for her.

Goofy Zoose.

The neighbor kids are loud

And if Mad hears them squealing and playing out front after dinner, she will shove her shoes at you and ask repeatedly to go "out out out out out" " shoes shoes shoes shoes shoes".

When the neighbor girls see her, they melt and break into a chorus of "Oh Maaadeeee! Oh her sooooOOoooo cuuuute!"

Gosh look at her. I think they are right!

We are going to miss these late summer nights. We are already having chilly nights and mornings, and the dark seems to be creeping into our mornings and evenings to give us less light.

But on the good side of things, it is my birthday Sunday! Hello, 35. I am not sure how I feel about you quite yet.

I know, less me, more Madee!

She isn't just growing and doing more stuff. Her little mind is maturing. She has 2 word combos now, like, "Mom, no" and "up, please!" "Hi Zeus!" - in fact every day she saying things with more clarity and intention - it blows my mind.

She has even started talking to other kids she meets. She is totally on her way.


We hired a nice young lady named Bela to come in and help out with the kids for a few hours a week. Madee loves her. Eden loves her. I love her. Even Charlie and Grampa loved her.

And when I came home Madee had mastered riding her rocky unicorn (check back for awesome video). AND THE TV WASN'T EVEN ON. Oh yeah, she's good.

Speaking of, we have cut back dramatically on the TV. Madee was asking for "On, please" "Bob Bob" and "Wow Wow" a little too often, and sometimes in the middle of the night.

So Charlie and I have banded together as husband and wife for a little bud nipping. The first couple days was painful, but we still have a little designated TV time and now we have a lot of more creative type time.

But since Madee missed her "Bob Bob" so much, we got her a little surprise...

Now she can see her buddy all the time, and wouldn't you know it, bath time is easier and more fun too!

Rolling on the Floor

Everything Happens So Fast

This post is chock full of info, photos, fun and 2 (count em!2) videos. Put on your tight pants - the future comes at lightning speed!

First, my top 3 favorite photos this round.

Grandpa Tom's shoes.

Breathtaking. But not in the Seinfeld way.


Who loves Grandpa?

This girl!

And this girl!!




We play a lot of dress up lately. I have to get my hands on some old prom dresses, because Madee's stuff just doesn't fit me. Sometimes I wear her tutu on my leg, but it just makes me want my own, and she never lets me wear the belly dancing skirt.


Tutu flyer.


Dad and Madee took a bike ride to the Stream Profile. Madee likes the fishies.

Hi! Fish!

Ida's crib is finally set up and functional - she has already taken a nap or two in it, but still sleeps best shoved into Mommy's back!

Madee thinks it is great too.

But not as great as her own bed!

Madee is almost 35 inches, and our neighbors 4 year old just graduated to a bunk bed with her sister, so fate would have it that Madee's bed would be pink. And plastic. And as much as I wanted something a little more dressed up for her, she LOVES IT.

And she has already bonked her head on it several times, the first of which I thanked God for sending us a plastic bed despite my personal preference.

Ida thinks it is great too!

These are the pictures I love - my girls, just doing their thing!