Lions, Tigers, and Bears!

This is my little angel. Sitting on a statue of a manatee. Having a blast.

  

  This year for Mother's Day, my gift was a zoo membership. (The zoo is one of my all-time favorite places). We've tried to take advantage of the membership as much as possible by going to the zoo when we can, but when we're usually free to go to the zoo, it's super hot outside and also very crowded - making it nearly impossible for a sweaty little toddler to see any exhibit without being on her daddy's shoulders.  

   Cory had the day off Thursday, so we decided to make the drive to the zoo. Best decision ever! Being the middle of the week, there was hardly anyone there. And, it was only 75 degrees outside! For the first time ever, Mia was able to walk to each exhibit on her own, and see the animals up close! Needless to say, this resulted in one happy kid (and two pleased parents). Mia said that her favorite animals at the zoo were the "koadas", "elfants", and "fishies". I can't wait to go back!

Happiness

   Okay...last night it was finally cool enough to take Mia out in the backyard to play. Also, around 6pm the entire backyard is shaded by our big tree, creating perfect lighting for these adorable photos :)

   

    I am so entirely blessed to be a stay-at-home-mom whose husband gets home by lunchtime every day. It makes me so happy that Mia gets to spend that much time with both her mom and her dad, and I know that it's a privilege. 

  Last night, while we were outside playing in the backyard, Mia said, "I'm happy!". I could have cried. This is my purpose in life! This is what we're meant to do! I think I'll have about 10 kids. Just kidding. I love my family!

Things I don't need to know

  Such as my mother-in-law telling me that she's doing a "colon cleanse" while I'm eating lunch. Yep, unnecessary.

 My mother-in-law needs a hobby - one that keeps her SUPER busy. Like, too busy to text. I think I've received nearly 100 text messages a day for the last week from my upset, frustrated, loony-tunes mother-in-law. It's starting to drive me a bit batty.
 
  As of right now, they don't have jobs back in Columbus, so they aren't sure when they're moving back to Ohio. But, I've been told that they will be moving back eventually. I'm sure she'll keep me updated on the situation...haha.
 
  I'm not feeling well. I think I'll eat a brownie and break out the ol' heating pad. Yep, don't mind if I do.

Memories

I'm never getting rid of this audio clip.

Every time Cory hugs or kisses me, Mia runs over to us wanting hugs and kisses, too. I recorded this the other day when she gave her daddy a hug after he came home from work.

I love her. And her daddy :)

Me vs. Mia vs. The Potty

  The battle with potty training has proved to be more challenging than I'd thought. We're at a crossroads in this house. Mia refuses to keep a diaper on.  This results in either a poo-smeared toddler, or puddles of pee around the house. However, she also refuses to go on the potty. She loves wearing underwear (Hello Kitty is her favorite) but doesn't mind soiling them one bit. 

  I've googled numerous potty training plans, and I've gone over in my head the fact that everything has been on "Mia's time" since she was tiny, but this issue has me stumped. I can't read the mixed signals. Oh, to be 2 and pee your pants without a care...

TEETH

For those of you know know my daughter.. 

she was a late bloomer with teeth.

 In the past 8 months, Mia has gotten 9 teeth! 

She got her first front tooth the other day, at almost 21 months. 

Needless to say, this was a BIG day for us! 

(I don't know about you, but I think she's looking darn cute with those front teeth!)

Mia Bo Bia

   My little Mia is getting so big! It's hard to believe she'll be 2 in a few months. Lately, she's been amazing us every day with the things she does and says. A few days ago, she was sitting at the dining table eating grapes, and she dropped one. After dropping it, she said, "The grape..I drop it. I drop the grape under the table." She has never said that much of a sentence. I am very thankful for her extensive vocabulary, but it can prove to be a challenge sometimes, too. Her tantrums are definitely..over the top, haha. 

   Lately, Mia has been very difficult, and sometimes I feel like there's no end in sight! The poor kid is just now getting her two front teeth, and still has six more teeth to get after those two! Long story short, I feel that I'm needing to remind myself of the joys of having a child - a daughter - and see past the stressful moments that we've had lately. I feel like I was meant to be a mom! Mia is so very special to us, and both Cory and I are very much looking forward to taking advantage of all the one-on-one time we get with her. Not many families get to spend as much time together as we do, and I take that for granted far too often! 

Twice is nice!

  Wow! 2 posts in one day! This is unlike me. I know the things I've been posting lately aren't very.. insightful or fun. But, I guess I have a lot on my mind to write about. So, bare with me.
   Made the executive decision not to take in the kitty. I really just needed to stop feeling guilty. Cory and I had been at odds over it for days. As of last night, we were going to take him in, but I woke up this morning with a completely different outlook on the situation. It just didn't feel right, and I saw where my husband was coming from. We need to focus on kiddos right now :) And that's perfectly fine with me!
  I'm starting to think about painting Mia's new bedroom furniture, and I think I've decided on white. Ha! I'm all for color, but I'm also all about versatility! (the chairs for her new play table may get painted blue.. I'd prefer not to have a sea of white furniture) I'm so excited to get her bed set up (which also means the crib gets moved to bedroom #3) because I get to paint her wall monogram! This makes me happy... custom painting is one of my most favorite things. I'd go monogram crazy if my husband didn't stop me. I'm already envisioning a black monogram above our bed...someone stop me, quick!

  

Where the Taylor's Cook

Our kitchen is well on its way to being complete. Thought I'd post a few pics of progress! 

We painted the cabinets back to white (a brighter shade of white), painted the trim above the cabinets a super light beige (along with the back wall of the kitchen around the entrance to the laundry room) and painted the backsplash black.

(my counters are a tad bit bare... I have yet to go accessory shopping!)

  

Please ignore the mess atop the fridge...and the missing cabinet doors that my wonderful husband has yet to make me :)

Oh, lucky me!

  Remember in that last blog post when I said we'd get a kitty "someday"? Um, yeah. I think you know where I'm going with this one.

  My lovely mother texted me literally minutes after posting that, "letting me know" that a stray kitten had found its way to my parents' house. Being the total cat-lover that I am (and still sad over having to let go of Daisy) I took Mia over to my mom's to see the kitty. Mistake #1. Mia LOVES cats. Polar opposite to the way she feels about dogs. She was practically begging me to take the kitty home. Did I mention that this kitty is absolutely precious, loves attention, let Mia pick him up and practically carry him over her shoulder, AND used the litter box immediately? Darn!

  Obviously we have a little bit of a dilemma on our hands. There's no possible way I can just put this little fella back out on the street. But, giving Daisy away is still fresh. Talk about poor timing! (excellent timing or horrible timing... however you want to look at it). This kitty is STILL at my parents' house.. waiting for a home. And I'm torn. This is all I have to blog about because it's all that's being talked about around our homestead. What to do...what to do!