Diapers can be toys too, Mom!

Pepper has started to understand right from wrong... or she at least understands what is on the no-no list. We're usually really good about always closing the bathroom and bedroom doors... but on the rare occasion that she finds a door open, she will stop in the hallway, smile at me with a very mischievous look on her face, and slowly creep towards the open door without breaking eye contact with me. If I make a move to close the door, she will BOLT to try and beat me, giggling the whole time. Oh man, that girl cracks me up!

She also knows that we don't let her play with the diapers and wipes. We used to not care, but then she figured out how to take the wipes out... and I ended up spending a lot of time putting them back in the wipes container. Anyway, a couple days ago I turned my back for 2 minutes, and she managed to cover the coffee table in diapers (the diapers covering the floor didn't make it in the picture). She was really in heaven so I let her play with them until she got bored--which took less than 5 minutes.

Please ignore the krusty boogers

I wanted to get a picture of Pepper in this sweater while it still (sort of) fits. Aunt SiSi was in town for Thanksgiving, and Pepper had a lot of fun with her. Like most of the clothes Pepper has, this sweater was a hand me down from cousin Mia via Aunt Jill. Pepper is usually on the smaller side when it comes to clothes... she is 17 months old, but 18 month pants are usually a little big/long. When it comes to shirts, however, I never know what to expect with her big ole pot belly. Mom and Dad have some great home videos of a very young me at the beach with the same belly, so Pepper has me to thank for that:)

Pepper has started to smile purposefully whenever I get the camera out... we haven't taught her to smile or say cheese or anything, but she figured out how to work the camera all on her own!

Russell family pics

We had some family pictures taken recently. I was a little worried they wouldn't turn out great because Pepper was super cranky for pretty much the whole shoot... she was really fascinated by the nearby river and got quite mad (over and over) that we wouldn't let her play in it. What kind of parents ARE we?? Todd managed to get some great shots though, and we are thrilled!

SEW DONE!!

I have completed my first--and possibly last--craft. Crafting, scrapbooking, making stuff by hand, just isn't my thing. It never has been a talent/desire of mine, and I don't think it ever will be. I think it leaves me at a slight disadvantage with all the crafting mommies in Provo (hmmm hopefully we'll have something else in common??), but it doesn't bother me enough to want to change.

Anyway, back to the craft. The quiet book. The dreaded quiet book pages.

Oh. My. Goodness.

This was a big undertaking for me. I knew that it probably would be but I kept telling myself I would keep it simple and it wouldn't be that hard/time consuming. I failed to take into account my 16 month old (who I didn't realize wouldn't let me sit at the sewing machine for more than 2 minutes at a time). I also didn't take into account how I would be feeling--exhausted and sick.

Needy 16 month old + exhaustion 24/7 + not being crafty to start with =

I'm not even sure what word to put. Frustrating? Tiring? Pointless? HARD?

On top of not being able to find the time/energy/desire to work on the pages, I had a lot of aggravating technical issues. The biggest fiasco, by far, was the car wash. I initially did the flaps out of felt... (lack of crafting experience=uninformed material decisions.) Five minutes after I finished sewing on all of the car washes (and was feeling quite accomplished, I might add) Pepper got a hold of a page and destroyed one of the car washes... which led me to realize that felt was a bad choice for the flaps (DUH). I'm glad I figured that out (many thanks to Pepper, my destroyer of all things nice and neat) before sending the pages to their new owners, who would find the flaw themselves (also thanks to their children, I'm sure). But regardless, it was a big ole pain to have to fix. Ugh.

Corban asked me today if I am glad that I decided to do the quiet book. I told him that I will be glad once I have all the pages and it's all put together. Right now I'm just glad to have it done and out of the house. Halle-freakin-lujah. I absolutely could not have finished the pages without Corban's help. He was so great to play with Pepper in the evenings so I could get some sewing done. The Saturday before my deadline, he took Pepper out of the house and ran errands with her for FOUR HOURS so I could work. For real. FOUR HOURS. I would still be working on those pages if it weren't for him and his awesomeness.

A thankful side note: When Grandma Knight passed away in 2006, I inherited some gallon size ziploc bags full of thread and other assorted sewing accessories of hers. Over the years I've occasionally used the black and white thread to sew buttons, etc, but never really appreciated the variety of her collection until doing these pages. When I needed red thread, I had THREE different shades to choose from! She had every color I needed and much, much more. Some of the spools have REALLY old labels on them, it's fun to think she bought some of these maybe 40-50 years ago, and now I'm using them to help keep her great-granddaughter quiet in church.

Thank you Grandma Knight for being an amazing seamstress!

Maybe I just need to buy a harness

Our camera has been having issues, so I apologize for the quality (or lack thereof) of these photos. I may have to actually go Black Friday shopping this year (aka my worst nightmare) if some store is having great deals on cameras... ours is on its last leg:(

Anyway... Mom came to town last month and I didn't take a lot of pics, but these are some of them. Haley had an intramural basketball game that Mom, Pepper, and I went to. Pepper REALLY wanted to go out on the court and play with the big kids, hence the reason why she is being held onto in every picture. Mom and I eventually took turns with her out in the hall where she said, "Hi!" over and over to anyone who passed.

Pepper misses you, Grandma Martha! When are you coming back???





PS-- That big ole bruise on her forehead is from running into the entertainment center. Ouch!

Ode to Pudding

I got on a sugar-free pudding kick this summer, but it fizzled out long before I finished the mountain of pudding cups I purchased during a sale. I've given Pepper bites here and there, but finally let her have her own cup to destroy yesterday. She was in heaven.

Over the river and through the woods

We went to my grandparents house yesterday. Dad and Chelsea are in town, and a good time was had by all. Especially Haley, who got a power nap in on the drive to AND from Bountiful. Sometimes I think she's narcoleptic... then I just remember that she's just one of those sleep deprived college kids. You're sure about this whole mission thing, Haley?