should.go.to.bed.

I should really be in bed right now. I'm so tired! But I'm trying to upload some photos for printing so I have something to scrap this weekend. The girls and I are getting away for a weekend crop. I am so jazzed for it. I will miss my boy terribly, but I really need this time. Good friends, good scraps, good times!

JT's new foods this week are asparagus and peas. His diet was a little lacking in the green department. John fed him the peas tonight while I was getting my wig busted. He said JT loved them. Oh well, sorry that I've been neglecting to feed you peas thus far!

His nanny wrote in the journal today that he made a few motions like crawling. Hmm, we're skeptical. He has shown so little interest in it. He better not take it up while I'm gone this weekend... I'll cry!

It is a busy week. Busy at work and lots to get done in order to go away for the weekend. And the new project ideas are swirling in my head at a fast pace. I want to sew along with the pot holders and a table runner for March. I'm thinking that since I'll have my craft area cleaned up and all the scrappin' out of my system, I can get out the sewing stuff next week.

football in the park

Today was the first Brunner Bowl. Apparently this is an event that will happen regularly, so it's not the "first annual" or anything like that... more like the "first of many".

As you can see, it was action-packed. Check out all the photos here.

JT acted pretty bored with the whole scene. I think maybe he was tired from partying on Friday night at the fish fry and Jeni's ice cream:

Oh, but the fun doesn't end with Brunner Bowl... John challenged everyone to a game of Balderdash and battled it out with Krista for the win. Then we played a never-ending game of Trivial Pursuit Pop Culture DVD edition. I don't even know who won that. I think we ended up forcing someone to win just so it would end already.

Oh, John has been saying "Touché" like it's his job. Usually he says it when we are watching Lost or Friday Night Lights. He says it a LOT, and I'm not sure always appropriately. Well, now he has everyone saying it. In honor of that... a mac/pc commercial:

week 2

2/52, originally uploaded by brungrrl.

Me and my kid... week 2 is posted. John took this week's photo, too. A lot of the pictures in the pool are self-portraits or timer shots... which I think are cool. I wish I was any good at those kind of photos.

But I think I like having John take the photos. Tonight he spent some time trying to get a good shot. So if once a week for a year, John practices taking pictures of his family, maybe he'll get used to doing that. And then our family history will show that I really was here. :-)

it's good to be king

We visited Uncle Bill and Aunt Theresa in Wooster last weekend. JT showed them all his new tricks: waving, biting, drooling, etc. JT also got to know his cousin Bailey. Maybe we are bad parents... but we let him have the full experience of doggie kisses. JT was amazed that there is a being out there that gives wetter kisses than he does!

We also introduced JT to fine dining.

Oh wait, that's not the photo of fine dining, that was the fast food on the way home. heehee.

On Saturday night we dined at South Market Bistro. The food is phenomenal. They feature seasonal produce and local ingredients. The chocolate fondant was out-of-this-world delicious. JT went with us. He was so good... charming everyone he met.

No pictures from the Bistro, guess I'll have to go back sometime soon!

play ball

play ball, originally uploaded by brungrrl.

Ok, one last creation. I might like this one for JT's room. It incorporates my one little word for this year.

spring fever

spring fever, originally uploaded by brungrrl.

I'm quite addicted to these texture overlays! And I'm getting more brave... I added text to this one. haha!

How much longer until spring anyway? The daffodils have poked through already. The Japanese dogwood and the lilac bushes are chock full of blossoms ready to go.

happy prez' day

rusty flower, originally uploaded by brungrrl.

I spent today with JT. These days off are such a treasure. Of course, I forgot to snap our picture today for the 52 weeks of me and my kid. We'll have to see what the rest of the week brings.

There are stories and photos to share from the weekend, but that will have to wait for another evening. I have been playing with photos all night and didn't leave myself much blogging time.

Here is a flower pic I took last fall with an overlay I found on flickr... fun stuff these overlays. :-)

52 weeks with my kid

Mama and JT in the snow, originally uploaded by brungrrl.

Ok, I'm taking the challenge... 52 weeks with my kid. One photo of me and JT every week for a year. Sure, starting in February is a little random. I was feeling non-committal in January though. :-)

We were lucky enough to have some daylight today and John took our picture. But I daresay it will more often be me doing a self-portrait. At least history will know that I was involved in my kid's upbringing. I mean, to look at the photos so far, I appear completely absent.

The little bugger still has a bit of a head cold. He's cheerful as can be though. You got love a hacking cough and runny nose with a big grin on his face.

He's waving all the time now. The other morning (when he woke up in bed with us... 3 binky retrievals and we opt for co-sleeping...) he waved at John and then at me. Upstairs on his changing table, he waved at his reflection in the mirror. Then he waved at a 2 foot tall Smokey Bear that my grandparents got him for Christmas. He is across the room from the changing table... JT has been eyeballing him only recently. And now it's tradition to wave at Smokey when we're in his room. And I ask him, "What does Smokey say, JT?" And in a very deep voice I answer for him, "ONLY YOU can prevent forest fires!" Lol... it's sure to be his first full sentence!

think or swim

You didn't think there was only one video from swimming, did you? Watch out, this one might make you dizzy...




John set JT beside me tonight while I was sitting with the computer on my lap. JT started banging on the keyboard, of course. He managed to open a new Firefox tab and navigate to the site thinkorswim.com. Haha... ironic. (I have no idea how or why that site - it's not something either of us had been to previously.)

sea legs

JT got his sea legs today. He goes crazy in the tub at bathtime. He kicks all the water out of the tub for no good reason most nights. So we decided to take him where there is a lot more water.

How do you think he liked it?

JT and Froggy

JT and Froggy, originally uploaded by brungrrl.

This picture cracks me up. JT and the frog have the EXACT same expression. lol!

I love digital scrapbooking... it's so neat and tidy. I wish I knew Photoshop Elements better though. I'd be a digital scrapbooking machine then!

Once again, I am up way too late. Going to bed now... Let's hope there isn't a humongously loud crack of thunder at 2:30am that wakes John and me out of sound sleep. He thought it was an explosion. I don't know how it didn't wake JT. Thunder - in February?!

just chillin'

I wish I was just chillin'... I am so tired. We just watched the end of the super bowl. That was the first time I'd sat down since mid-day. I spent the whole day making baby food for JT. We were almost OUT completely. I bought a bunch of stuff last week on Thursday and didn't get to make it up until today.

Here is the work in progress:

And here is the freezer full of goodies:

Many thanks to Ellen... the food processor and the white ice cube trays are all on loan from her. She also gave me the great idea for mango-applesauce. JT loves it! Today I made up several new foods for him, including cauliflower, carrots, and spaghetti squash. His new food over the weekend was YoBaby yogurt. The vanilla is delicious.

Oh, and I should mention... the baby food is freezing right now in our BRAND... NEW.... REFRIGERATOR!!!

The best feature? Ice and water in the door. Good-bye ice cube trays and water filtration pitcher!

JT's library

I've been pining for yard sale season lately. In order to get a little fix, JT and I visited the second-hand store one evening this week. He got a pair of swimming trunks for $1.60 (because we plan to take him to the pool soon for some splashing.) And I got 3 books. Ok, the books are "for him". But really, they're for me.

My favorite is Will's Mammoth:


I love the drawings and how the text works right along with them. The story just wreaks of imagination. The little boy imagines that he spends the day playing with a woolly mammoth and all the ice age creatures. Most of the pages just have pictures, so you can make up the story of his day as you go through the book... a book about imagination that requires imagination. Just look at these dreamy images:


The other two books are Clever Tortoise and Madeline and the Gypsies. Clever Tortoise won me over because it covers animals and African culture. It's also a cute tale with a lesson. And the Madeline book, well! Any story about a kid who runs off to be with the gypsies has to be good! LOL - I like when Miss Clavel gets the postcard and realizes that Madeline has forgotten how to spell in her time with the gypsies! Oh and sure, it has some French culture as well...


I've added many of JT's books to a list on WorldCat. Check it out: JT's Library.

new handmade

So I can't give up the handmade stuff. I bought these two prints for JT's room. Now I just hope they arrive before we go visit my brother. He can make me custom mats for them and I can paint up a couple yard sale frames to match all the other frames in his room. You know, the other frames that don't have anything in them yet. Yeah, yeah, I'll get to those.

Turtle Kite - Gocco Printed

by jenskelley

awww, how sweet is the turtle?!

Baloon flight

by MiaMiBox

This little girl in the balloon is a print of a mixed media painting. I love the trees. Have I mentioned how much he loves the balloon mobile in his room? My heart just lights up when he oohs and ahhs over it.

teething on a lollipop

valentine baby, originally uploaded by brungrrl.

Sometimes after JT goes to bed, we sneak up to say good night again and watch him sleep. We did that tonight after watching Friday Night Lights. When that show ends, we say "shwew, thank goodness we won't have any teenagers for a while." Then we want to hug on our lovable bundle of joy while he'll still let us.

I mean, really... I'm not going to stop smothering him with hugs and kisses. He'll just have to get used to it. *kiss*