When I came across this advertisement in a magazine recently, I could totally relate.

However, I think this is a better version of the same ad, below...

Lulu is working that thuggy, I'm-going-to-threaten-you-behind-the-school-on-the-playground-for-your-lunch money look on her face. What a sneer!  Her skin looks gorgeous in the picture and her clothes and her hair look good, for once. As Miss Patty said at daycare when I showed it to her, "That's our Lulu! If her smile is great, then the hair is usually wonky, but if the hair is good, the smile is usually not the best."

More truer words have not been spoken.

We thought of getting a photo re-do, but then agreed, this was a completely "Classic Lulu" for the memory books moment.

We better get busy making some brownies...

Lulu went under the scissors yesterday. We had no choice. She was really looking like a raggamuffin when it came to her hair.

And then, she has recently these past few months, started chewing it. Chewing it all the time...

So that she had crispy dreadlocks. Ewwww, so, so, so disgusting.

So after begging, pleading and threatening her to stop chewing it or we'd cut it off, I finally went through on the consequences yesterday after Camp Fire.

I asked for a stacked bob haircut for her, no bangs, and short enough that she couldn't get any of it into her mouth.

It turned out SO CUTE!!!!

Her hair is like spun gold threads in the sunshine!  As as Eddie said when he saw it when we got home, "It's like a fresh start!"

Now, if we could just figure out how to get her to stop bitting her nails all the way down to the quick.

My favorite paper supply store for all my crafty and creative paper needs here in town, is closing.  Closing for good, as in, no more. Done. Bye-bye.

I'm absolutely crushed!!!!!

This is reason enough to hit the bottle early. I'm serious.

Paper Zone sent out an email on Thursday that everything in the store had to go and was 30% off. Bean and I popped by after work that night and I grabbed a few things while she chatted folks up from the cart.

But I was completely overwhelmed at what I should focus on to buy with them going out of business. So I realized in the middle of the night, that my favorite long envelopes that they produced and sold, would be a worthwhile investment. And maybe some paper punches and rubber stamps?

I wish I could buy out the store...So many great things!

The next morning, after a breakfast date with Eddie once the girls were off to daycare, we went back.  Eddie enjoyed walking around looking at everything they offered. He completely understood why this store was so dear to my heart and while I'll miss it when it's gone. All the paper supplies and tools, plus samples and ideas created by store employees to spur creativity (and more important, sell product) is in a category of it's own. JoAnn's and Michael's, while they sell some of the same merchandise, are completely different stores than Paper Zone.

In the end, I bought a bunch of envelopes in different sizes and colors, rubber stamps, and decorative vintage looking stickers to round out what I currently have.

Yesterday was Bean's 2 year wellness check-up. We were two months and 20 days late on getting it done.

Here is her chart for her head size in her age range. She's literally off the charts!!!

Of course, her having a gigantic but gorgeous head (including that fabulous curly hair!) explains why she is so friggin smart. And also explains why it took so long for me to give birth to her, when the nurses boasted claimed that I'd have her out within the hour.

Not even close...

Confession: When we have this for dinner, I totally, and completely, can't stop eating the leftover crispy kale in the pan. Especially the carmelized and crispy bits of onion and potato with it...

You can find the recipe here. We love this dish, it's completely simple and easy to make and oh-so-good for you!

Mmmmmmm, crispy kale...Best thing in the WORLD since sliced bread and control-topped pantyhose.

For reals.

Someone is just TOO CUTE FOR WORDS!!!!!

(I can't stand it...I love, love, love this BEAN!!!)

Today was the annual mother-daughter Christmas tea that we have been going to with my mom since we moved back to Portland. It's been going on for years, hosted by the mother and daughters (the latter are my age) of neighbors that I grew up and went to elementary and middle school with. Karlyn, is actually a teacher now at the same grade school we attended years ago, and teaches 2nd grade, in our former 2nd grade classroom. What a crazy coincidence!

Lulu loves to go to this holiday tea because they have a very neat, big doll house in the guest bedroom upstairs. This year, Bean was old enough to discover the joys of the doll house. She was enamored as you can see below.

Silly Bean!

Carson (in front of Lulu) is Karlyn's son and was dressed up as a dapper newsboy, complete with page boy cap. Somewhere, though, the hat got tossed aside as did his vest and Lulu decided it was the perfect accessory to wear with her dress.

The scare of the morning came at the top of this landing (below) in the same playroom/guest room. Bean was standing at the top, looking through the balausters and pushed her right knee through the straight space below the cut out design.

I didn't realize that, it actually got caught! I kept asking her to come down and to let me pick her up to bring her down to the floor but she didn't move away from where she was standing. It was odd, because she is usually so good about coming over to me when I ask her to.

Finally, she started saying over and over, "Stuck! Stuck!!!" and I realized what had happened. Because of how full her dress was, between that and her fabulously chubby legs, it wasn't going anywhere. I pushed and pulled with no luck. At that point, she began to panic (and I assume, it probably started to hurt) and she started crying while saying, "Stuck...stuck!!" to me. I asked the kids to call Karlyn's mom and they immediately realized the seriousness of the matter and got her right away. Somehow, we pulled her leg out. Bean was relieved (as was I) and collapsed in my arms and lay her head on my shoulder.

And by then, I decided, it was probably best that we leave. Which we did.

Too bad I had to go to work afterwards. I could totally have used a nap after all the mornings excitement...