Happy, happy

If I had to pick one word to describe Katelyn at 19 months it would be, happy! I wish I could just bottle her up right now and not let her get any older. She is SO much fun!!

She woke up from her nap this afternoon in a fabulous mood...all smiles and sillyness.Here's some fun bed head.

She loves the song "Ten little monkeys jumping on the bed". She waves her finger around and says "No more mo" when you sing "No more monkeys jumping on the bed". So cute. She really likes the jumping part...as you can see below. Nothing like jumping around the crib to make her laugh. And don't you love her outfit. She's my little wild animal.

It's so fun to fall down...on the bed anyway.

Okay, the hair is combed and the diaper is dry...on with the day.

Just a little love...

We have a lot of love to go around around here and we're really bored...so we thought we'd send some love your way on this cold day... oh so pretty!

"Umm, mommy, why are we taking our own picture...you're goofy mommy."

Here's to a warmer tomorrow...

Tea time

My friend, Kim, is sweet to come over sometimes on Saturday afternoons for tea and girl talk while Katelyn is napping. Uninterrupted grown up conversation is golden.

So today I made pumpkin oat bran muffins. They were super yummy, had hardly any sugar in them...were only 150 calories, 4 grams of fat, 4 grams of fiber per muffin. So I'm glad that there were a bunch left so that I can have a muffin and a banana for breakfast every morning this week! I love tea. I especially love it on a really cold day like today. And honey always makes me happy. I know, I'm so cool like that.

I still have a couple of cups of pumpkin left over so I'm going to make a crustless pumpkin pie tonight. I think Katelyn will love it also...a healthy treat. (I'm looking for healthy dessert options.) Sugar free jello and pudding has been fabulous this week...I'm ready for something else for this upcoming week!

Is it spring yet??

Okay, so I haven't been very faithful about posting lately, but I mean really, it's 4 degrees here and we've been doing a whole lot of nothing. It's too cold to venture out very far and you've all seen Katleyn playing in her kitchen, climbing on the furniture and reading books. That's about the extent of our day...sorry to disappoint.... But she is still so cute...so here are a few pictures to tide everyone over until we thaw out. Oh yeah, we've got some silly faces.

Laughing, laughing...look at all those teeth.

"Umm, mommy, why are you taking my picture? I'm just watching Elmo. I do that ALL the time."

So there are your pictures. Now everyone can cut me some slack. We are really ready for spring around here. The princess yells "Par, Par, Par" every time we pass by a park. I feel so bad telling her "I'm sorry honey but it's too cold for the park today. We can't go to the park when it snows." I think Katelyn would go anyway. She's calling the nursery at the gym "par" because there's a big plastic play thing with a slide. It will have to do for another couple of months.

Baking bread

I've been trying to do a bunch of my cooking for the week on the weekends so we've got lunches and dinners mostly covered. Weekdays are hectic so if I don't plan ahead it's too tempting just to eat out...costly and not as healthy. I've decided that I've got a perfectly good breadmaker that has been neglected long enough and there is nothing better than fresh baked bread...so I think I'm done buying bread and I'm going to make it instead. Today I made honey oat bread. Yummy!!!

On a snacking note...I love these little Quaker rice snacks and today I discovered the VERY best kind...the BBQ ones. Totally hits the spot when craving chips and they're only 70 calories per serving. Excellent!

Popsicles are fun...even in the winter!

My friend Cindy introduced me to the mini popsicle...they come like 30 to the box and they're just a couple of inches of yummy goodness. Therefore the mess for a toddler is not so goopy because they can eat it before it melts. Well, of course I had to get some because Katelyn LOVES them...so here's the green one. During..

...and after. Isn't this hillarious??? She looks a little sickly. Never fear, a bath before bed and she's green no more. She ate all the healthy stuff for dinner so she got a little treaty treat. Yep, spoiled rotten.

Now I can't wait for summer. Grammy and PaPa the lakehouse better be stocked with some yummy popsicles or we're not coming to play with you....yeah, I know...empty threats.

Just hanging out in 2009

Here's a snapshot of life in Katelyn's world, post Christmas...

Of course she's doing a bit of reading up in her room. I love this picture. She's so sweet and content to just lay on the floor and read her book.

I've been quizzing her on letters and when we're looking at the alphabet I can ask her where a letter is and it's amazing how many she can point to. She's a little sponge and she's picked up far more than I even realize.

Here she is getting the stuffed animal babies all situated in her shopping cart. Such a good "mommy."

A little extra love has been doled out for the care bear.

Here's my little Van Gogh creating a masterpiece! She really liked to paint. Surprisingly her ability to dip things in ketchup paid off when having to dip the paint brush in the paint. :)

I just like this one because her shirt says "Future Rocket Scientist." You go girl!

The kitchen is a big hit. Here she is getting ready to share her juice with her baby. Thank you Great Mom for the high chair/stroller/pack and play set for the dolls. Katelyn's loving them!

Yep, 99% Angel. Doesn't she just look like she's up to no good??

Happy New Year everyone. May 2009 bring much hope, joy and peace!