Mud Room Update

We are so lucky that this little "mud room" came with our house. I would have never been able to pull off the mud rooms you see on Pinterest. People amaze me!!! Anyway- our mud room had 2 hooks. There are 5 people in our family. That have purses, backpacks, dance bags, coats, sweaters, bathing suits, towels, etc. All for 2 measley hooks! Not working- our mud room was more cluttered that peoples homes that don't have mud rooms. So I added some hooks, and wanted to dress it up! Here is what I did, in pictures: 

What I started with- 8x10 chalkboards (Amazon), and $12 frames from Target (glass and matts removed). The chalkboards were gray, and had an annoying border on them. So I painted them with more chalkboard paint, and popped the borders off (so they'd attach behind the frame without causing issues with hanging them). The borders were easy to pop off- probably not a pro most of the time, but for today it was great! 

I also had to paint the frames gold. Like, HAD TO.

The paints I used were:

Finished with step 1!

Step 2- glue the chalkboard to the frame. I used "gorilla glue" bc it's what we had on hand. Kind of annoying bc it dries white so you can see the seepage on the front of the chalkboard- but whatever. Then place them upside down to dry with something heavy on top. We used training skates :) (I left the open space to leave room for hooks- my wall space wasn't long enough for the frames and hooks underneath!)

This was the best before picture I could get. Before pictures aren't my forte. Usually I remember mid-project.

And after!! Love it! 

Got the hooks at Target- $6 for each "rack":

Tate Giggling At Breakfast

Nothing special- just adorable Tate giggles :)

What does the puppy say?

Here's Tate attempting to woof like a puppy!  This was the very first day he did it- probably about 2 weeks ago.  Now he "oof oofs" pretty much everytime he sees a dog, and he will sometime attempt a monkey sound if you remind him what they say. :)  Love him!

Tate 9 months

Oh this kid is beyond precious. Love love love love love love him!!!!!! Here is our 9 month photoshoot. He's getting pretty impossible to catch still and sitting, but I got a couple decent pictures! This month he became interested in animals and noises the make (particularly puppies and monkeys- he tries to mimic them, and sometimes he'll do the puppy unsolicited if he sees one!), will finally sit still for a book (sometimes 2!), claps and dances (dances=bounces), waves hi and bye (with a big straight arm), and gives amazing slobbery wet lustful kisses. You know when he's coming in with a kiss. His eye lids get all heavy and he stares you in the eyes, then he stares at your lips, all while slowly and dramatically drawing closer and closer in. It's so cute! He's such a lover!

He's bouncing and clapping here. The three of us (Ada, Dax, and me) are all behind the camera singing loudly to try to get him to smile. It was counterproductive.

Video- hanging out

Another random yet cute video of us just chillin' in the living room :)

Cutest Video EVER.

I can't believe I haven't posted this yet.  This is my favorite video.  Ever. I'm obsessed with them and days like this-

Video: Mommy and Dax

This is what Dax and I do while Ada's at school- ha!

Mommy joins in the fun-

Tate- 8 months

OK I'm wwwaaaayyy late in posting this monthly photoshoot update!!  I did however take the pictures on time- just haven't uploaded them and blogged about it!  So-- here's Tate at 8 months, 2+ weeks after his photoshoot.  I absolutely adore this little boy.  More everyday.  

He's getting to be quite the silly jokester.  He seems to think more subtle things are funny.  Not so slapstick like his big brother and sister, maybe?  Right around his 8 month birthday he began waving and "clapping"- you'll see the progression of his clap in the 2 videos at the bottom of this post.  Super cute.  (Now 2 weeks later he's working on blowing kisses- I can't WAIT for him to get that one down!) 

He's got 8 teeth and they are pretty much the cutest thing I've ever seen. 

He's showing interest in letting go of whatever he's holding on to- I'm not sure how long I have until he's walking, but I hope a few months still at least.  I am NOT READY to give up my crawling baby!  Speaking of crawling, the kid can make it halfway up the stairs in about 2 seconds flat. So that's a workout. 

He's coming around on the whole eating solids thing.  He wasn't sure about it at first, but LOVES them now, and gets cranky quick when his cheerios are all gone at mealtime!

Speaking of mealtime, we're working on baby signs.  And he seems to understand "more" and "all done" with some attempts at making the sign.  I vaguely remember Dax doing the same thing for "more" at first- banging on his tray! :)  He is pretty good at "all done"- especially if I do it first, he will return the gesture if he is in fact, all done.

Here is this sweet boy at 8 months- it gets more and more difficult with each passing month to get a good photoshoot in!

And videos of "If You're Happy and You Know It" with Tay-Tay-

This first one he is doing a spectacular with a "one-handed clap"- also known as pounding ;)

And this one he finally has his midline clap down, but he's not in such a happy-and-you-know-it kinda mood so I don't get much out of him! 

Halloween 2013

What a wonderful Halloween!!!! We had adorable Halloween decorations in our yard, had a block Halloween carnival in the culdesac, and trick or treated with a million kids in adorable costumes to the best neighbors ever! 

Ada was Elphaba from her favorite show Wicked. Dax was a precious robot (we searched high and low for a "wed wobot" costume- but he finally gave in and accepted silver was all there was), and Tate was a box of Tater Tots!!! And of course I had to be a Sonic carhop carrying around that large order of tots! Daddy just went as himself!  

I didn't get any good pics of the kids trick or treating- it was dark and a huge cluster, but you get the point!!!

Every neighbor was in charge of bringing a game for our culdesac carnival- here's the Dowell's!

Ada in her last minute special shirt headed to school on Halloween day!

Tater Tots!

Elphaba!

Robot!

Eating his apple from bobbing for apples (which he just stuck his hand in and grabbed) and trying to pop a balloon for some prizes-

Sonic carhop and her order of tater tots-

Waiting in line for the bucket toss-

Trick or treat!!

Photo Dump

Pictures of the last week or so :)

Dentist appointment for Dax and Ada. That was a lot of fun-

Tate eating apple slices at Jason's Deli-

Tate being adorable-

Dax getting a bell for his trike- and repeatedly ringing it in the checkout line!

Swinging-

Dax photo bombing selfies I was taking to post this maroon monogrammed scarf at the shop-

Every time we visit the dr (Ada had pink eye last week) Dax steals pair of latex gloves - 

Tate trying beans from tortilla soup. Jury is still out-

My boys helping unload the dishwasher-

Dax's chose is to unload the silverware into its drawer. I can't bring myself to straighten the drawer when he's finished bc it makes me so happy whenever I open it up and see the mess!

Tate the happy jailbird-

And how do I have no cute pictures of Ada!? So here's one I already posted from the Howlaween fest - love this pretty girl!