Wordless Wednesday

Project: Hello Kitty (aka: Pimpin' Lila's Ride)

Jake took to his 1st trike like a fish to water. Aunt Sally & Uncle Jerry bought him a Lightning McQueen "bike" for his 3rd Christmas and once Bubba got it assembled, Jake was cruisin'. Now 'Lila -- forever her own girl -- wasn't all that interested in the "baby bike". She'd cruise around inside the house on one. But when it came to being seen in public...well, that just wasn't going to work for this little Diva.

When Christopher down the street graduated from the little "big boy bike" to the bigger "big boy bike" we jumped on the opportunity. There was no reason to let a good 2-wheeler rest on its laurels, so we borrowed it pronto! Guess we could have guessed a reused boy's bike wouldn't be good enough for our little girl...even if it was Christopher's. (Yes, little Ladybug loves her some Christopher.) She was OK with it until friend-Sophia showed up with her pinkalicious bike. So what choice did I have? I mean, this is part of a creative stay-at-home-mom's responsibilities, right?

Ladies & Gentlemen, I present to you: Project Hello Kitty (aka: Pimpin' Lila's Ride)

Really...who can expect a girl like this to be happy on a bike like this?

First things first -- build a spray booth in the garage. I knew I hung on to those hideous purple curtains (from the previous owners) for a reason.

Lila really wanted a "pinkalicious" bike. If you're unfamiliar with Pinkalicious, just follow this link to one of Ladybug's favorite books. (Yes, put your curser over the word "link" and a little hand will show up -- allowing you to follow the "link" to a web page telling you all about "Pinkalicious".) And yes, we already have Purplicious (another link), so don't go thinking you've figured out the perfect birthday gift.

I really wasn't interested in painting the entire bike pink, so I taped off most of the red and set to replacing blue w/pink. I added a touch of yellow to tie it all together with the existing wheel rims (cuz I was also not interested in painting rims either). Add a few stickers with some help from Lila and...

Voila!

One Happy Girly!

Thank goodness she hasn't noticed the Tonka Truck training wheels!

'nuggle Time...

...that's what she calls it. It's one of the many concessions I make for Delila -- my unfortunate 2nd born. Snuggle time. It was instituted pretty much as soon as she started sleeping in her "own" room. Things were so different with her. There was almost no one-on-one time. Jake was always around needing something, or there was something to be washed, emptied or laundered. I was amazed at how the 2nd child was so short-changed right from the get-go. Well, the one thing I could do was snuggle with her. Since she was up later than Jake in the early days, it was no problem. After I put him to bed it was her turn. After her last feeding, we'd just schnuggle up on the big bed in her room and have some Mommy/Daughter time. Of course, it's a logistical nightmare now -- especially when Duke's on the road. Whatever. There are harder things to juggle than snuggling with your kids, right?

It was so sweet at first. We'd lay belly to chest and she'd pat my shoulder while I gently rubbed and patted her back. Of course, my pats were motivated -- "Burp, little girl, burp." I suppose it's a tad hopeful on my part, but I always felt like her little pats were her reassurances that she was OK with my short comings as a mother-of-two.

Our postures have changed as she's grown. Now I kick back on the pillows and she starts with her head in my lap. Of course depending on the tenor of the evening, she can be all over the place on that big bed. But she almost always settles back down to the head on the lap position. She still loves to be caressed.

Now Delila is a "Bond". Sure, she's got that red hair -- but there's red on both sides of the family, so it's unfair to say she's got "my hair". Her face shape is all Bond, and she's got those brown eyes. She's stubborn like here Daddy ~wink~ and just like him, she loves a light touch. Me? I'm a deep tissue girl. If someone's going to take the time to rub my back, I want to know it's been done. Knead those muscles! Not 'Lila. She likes a feather touch. And true to form, it has to be done her way. She'll lift her shirt, direct my hand to her back or belly -- never both. Just the finger tips, please -- until her midsection is covered with goose bumps. And don't stop! If you do, she'll just pick your hand up and put it back where it's supposed to be. And if you go too slow, well, she'll fix that too. She's a girl who knows what she likes. No doubt about it!

Truely Wordless Wednesday

Almost Wordless Wednesday...*

"NO FAIR!!! I only got to hit her once!"

(in all fairness to Jake, she did hit him twice)

~♥~

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*For those of you not 'in the know', Wordless Wednesday is blog-thing where on Wednesdays you only post a picture -- no narrative. The picture's supposed to say it all.

Why Mommy Loves OxyClean

A rare evening here in the Lone Star State -- low 70s in JUNE!! And we were fortunate to have an 'outdoor obligation'. Thanks to all the rainy weekends we had last month, we had a t-ball makeup game on what can only be one of the most fantastic weather evenings of the year. And yesterday was the last day of school, so no one had to get up and out first thing in the morning. Post-game al fresco dining was a no-brainer. So we headed over to El Norte with the Coppinger clan for dinner on the patio...and the SnoCone Bar (of course!)

Bellied up to the bar.

1st impressions...

...are positive.

The sugar rush brings out the 'beasts' in Chrisitopher & Michael!

Everyone goes home with a 'red tongue trophy'.

This is why Mommy loves OxyClean!