britton's birthday party

We had Britton's 2nd birthday party this morning! Being in Texas and already having the decorations on hand, we did a "cowgirl" western theme. I found these invitations and couldn't resist. Here's the sample from tinyprints.com (mine has too much info like addresses and phone numbers, and I'm not in need of a stalker):



Table decoration:



Favor Bags, with "sheriff" badges, pencils, stickers, Slinky Jrs, and candy:



Cake from HEB, the best dang grocery store this side of the Rio Grande!



Only two kids showed up to the party, even though nine were invited! In fact, it was super-irritating because other than the kids that showed up, no one RSVPed. Well, actually that's not true - one girl's mom said they would be here, and didn't bother to show up, so I don't count her RSVP. No problem though as Britton gets along with Garrett and Jackson and loved jumping on our couches with them.





Britton was actually trying to fight some kind of cold/crud this morning, coughing like a seal and with the voice of an old man. She used up all of her energy being the hostess with the mostest and wasn't super-excited about opening all of her gifts. She got through Cammy's and Aunt's Jessica's gifts and loved them, but then turned a cold shoulder to some of my gifts. Oh, well - she'll open them on Tuesday!

She did open Memaw and Paw Paw's gifts once our guests left, because she was once again in the mood to party. She got pajamas, clothes, books, art supplies, a tea set, a "make up" kit, and a play kitchen.





After a costume change and nap, Britton was ready to play! So much so in fact that she cut her nap to ONE WHOLE HOUR so that she could get up and find her new toys. I was looking forward to a nap on the couch, but it's not my birthday so play we did.





Happy 2nd Birthday Britton! Stats to come on Tuesday after her yearly check-up (on her real birthday).

two weeks notice

I gave my two weeks' notice today at work. It was a surprise to most, though not completely unexpected. I've been in a position for almost a year which neither challenges me nor uses my education. I have pushed for a promotion, a promotion for which I am qualified without the additional experience I've attained. And once again, during my review, I was told I wasn't getting promoted. In fact, I was told that until I was actually performing the job I wouldn't get it. And because I was already stretching myself "proving" myself for the past six months, I did what I don't normally do. I gave up.

I'm tired of convincing my superiors that I am capable of performing job duties I already perform on a daily basis. I'm tired of sucking up to my manager's superiors so they might one day remember my name. And I'm tired of peering from my cubicle to the office which should be mine. And seeing that only one woman is on that side of the hallway. Honestly, I'm tired of being the most overqualified person for the job, and constantly being told to be patient.

I won't do it anymore. And I won't work for them anymore. So, I have since found a new job, one I got based on my resume. Read that again - I didn't even have to interview. I've spent the last year and half fighting that I don't know how to work without something to prove, a looming law degree chip on my shoulder. The deference is deafening.

I left practicing law because I can't be in court late and be home to make Britton's dinner. Being a present mommy means not being a public defender. And I've made my peace with what I can and cannot give up. But that doesn't mean I can't be a lawyer. And come two weeks from now, I will be. Again. Or maybe I always was? Regardless, I'm currently catching up on MCLEs so I can get my license active, while simultaneously freaking the frack out. My self-doubt is palpable - it comes with the territory of learning a new field of law six years out of law school. And, honestly, I can't pretend that being overlooked at work hasn't made me believe in myself less- it has.

I'm sad about leaving my co-workers - the camaraderie was the only thing holding me there, since any talk of opportunity was a lie. But you don't stay at a job for people. People who, while providing comic relief and sympathetic ears, don't have to put up with the same issues. And I firmly believe, being the third person to give notice in less than two weeks, that those people won't be there anyways.

So, I'm excited and nervous and scared and every emotion between. And while I may have allowed my previous position to convince me I shouldn't reach for bigger and better, I am slowly learning to silence that self-doubt voice. I'm ready for this change.

bring your daughter to work day

Yesterday morning I decided to take Britton to work with me to meet everyone. My co-workers have seen the hundreds of pictures I display of Britton, heard the stories, seen the videos on my iPhone, but none have met Britton in person. I figured it was about time Britton get a little field trip of sorts. Despite my intentions of getting there a little late so as to give everyone time to get to work first, we arrived earlier than normal for me. Britton and I went downstairs to the restaurant and had breakfast together. Memaw met us there and we went up to my floor to introduce Britton.

It cracks me up how shy she is, at least until something gets her talking. The thing this time was a calendar which contained a picture of cows. She turned to me and said, "Mommy! Cows! Moooooo!" She also ran into and out of the cubicles, trying to find pictures of people's dogs. See, everyone I work with owns at least one dog - seriously, there are 17 dogs owned by 15 co-workers. And the females of the group, since none have children, have taken to framing pictures of their dogs. Which I'm not making fun of and I totally get. And Britton loved finding these pictures and screaming, "Mommy! Puppy! Mine!"

Tracing her hand...



I hated making her go back to daycare, but I had to get back to work. On the way out Britton discovered that the escalator could be considered a ride and begged Memaw to take her up and down it. She also begged for Memaw's cell phone, but enough with the shenanigans - I still needed to make a 45 minute round trip. So we got to daycare and I took her to the playground with the other kids. As I drove off, I saw Britton playing - something I don't get to do because I'm at work when she is doing it. Her teacher saw me and waved, and now caught, I waved back and drove off. I think she really enjoyed her field trip.

it's what they call "art"

We decided yesterday afternoon that it was time to break out the fingerpaints for Britton. She muddied her diaper during naptime so there was no way we were getting her back to bed. And frankly, we had a couple of hours to kill before dinner. The heat here has been brutal so we can't go outside unless it's to get into an air-conditioned car or fall into a pool.

Britton was careful at first, rinsing her fingers before getting another color. Then it started smearing and sliding and she just let lose. This masterpiece is now hanging in my bedroom.

fridge surprise

The other day the hub told me that he found one of Britton's crocs in the fridge, lodged into the bottom shelf of the door. "This is what is so great about having a kid - you find a shoe in your fridge and don't blink twice."

A couple of days later, Britton was playing with the magnets on the fridge. And I opened the door to find a little surprise.

my little guppie

Britton is very drawn to water of any kind - the pool, puddles, the bath, you name it. So it was no surprise to us how much she would love the pool at Memaw and Paw Paw's place. Now, Britton tends to want to do "weekend" things on weekdays. And when she starts the morning with, "Go to park!" I have to break her spirit and remind her we have to go to school, but won't that be fun too? Yeah, I know, I hear it in my own head. And she'll start in the car with, "No pool! No water! No pool! No water!" because she knows we're not going to the pool and maybe I just need the reminder.

So we try and fill the weekends with stuff she likes, like going to the park and to the pool. And this weekend was no exception. The hub and Britton went to the park Saturday morning while I got my hair chopped off (yes Mom, more than a trim - at least 8 inches). Then Sunday morning we went to the pool. Let me tell you - it has been over 100 degrees for THREE WEEKS STRAIGHT. I need to be submerged in a body of water like I need air. And I think Britton is catching on to this.

when a phone is not a phone

I'm not a technology-phobe by any stretch of the imagination. But I am technologically wary. I don't fight to keep up with the latest products, because as soon as I buy that iPad 2 the iPad 3 will come out. And do better stuff. I don't want to throw money down a hole to keep up. And, frankly, I'm too old to try and be "cool." There, I said it.

I was 23 years old when I got my first cell phone. In fact, my mom gave it to me (and the accompanying year-long contract) because I resisted getting one for so long. I figured my answering machine was good enough. But I've progressed from a regular cell phone to texting to taking pictures and movies. I don't use Twitter because my life isn't that exciting that anyone needs a play-by-play of my day.

But sometimes something cool happens. And I need a picture and my camera is at home. So I take out my phone, and weeks, sometimes months later I remember those pictures. Here are some I found last night and they are too cute not to share.

Pink lemonade ice cream - someone is a fan...




I took her to Braum's for a burger - our first lady's lunch just us...



Britton has started trying on our shoes. Daddy's shoes plus no pants is a favorite outfit around here...

quilting "bee"

I have been working my butt off on sewing a quilt for Britton for her birthday. I haven't yet graduated from baby-sized quilts, mainly because I lack the focus and motivation required for a quilt that takes months instead of weeks to complete. I was originally working on a pinwheel quilt for my boss's fourth baby, due in October. But he left, so the quilt became Britton's first quilt. As in, the quilt Britton would have gotten for her first birthday if I knew how to quilt then. I figured she won't know I backpedaled and did it about 23 months too late.




The fabric for the backing is the first backing I have used that isn't found in the quilt top itself. Everyone, from the lady cutting fabric to the cashier, asked me what I was using it for and gushed how cute it is. If I ever doubted my decision, I didn't by the time I left the store.



And I love how it turned out. Problem is, I haven't finished it yet. And I promised myself I wouldn't start a new quilt without finishing the last, and well, it turns out I lied. Because do you remember this fabric?



I got ants in my pants to cut it into squares and preview how it would look. As it turns out, awful. The red was way too much, the fabrics were too busy, and as the hub put it, it looked like a hot mess. So I scouted out my fabric store and decided on gingham instead of the checked, and black and white only instead of red. I really wanted the bees to be the center of attention. And while at it, why not try some embroidery?

So I've spent the last week or so sewing it together and then quilting it. The backing is Kona bone, which I bought by accident for the pinwheel quilt. I wanted the pinwheel to be white, not off-white (I know, who notices? But I would!) so this "accident" turned out to be perfect for this bee quilt.



Not just embroidery, it was also my first foray into binding (the edging). And I love how it turned out!




So I have officially finished Britton's Second Birthday Bee Quilt, but not yet her First Birthday Pinwheel Quilt. Whoops! Did I mention I've already bought fabric for her Third Birthday quilt? It's going to be adorable too, and may well be finished 11 months before her third birthday. Dang it all I need a hobby! Oh, wait....

4th of july

We celebrated the 4th of July by not doing a single thing, including the requisite lighting of fireworks. See, all the firework shows are late and Britton won't really get what's going on so we don't bother. Plus, she's still a little gun shy about loud noises since all of our smoke alarms decided to lose battery power at the same time. Not to mention we're in a burn ban because the ground is so dry fireworks will ignite it like it's coated in gasoline. No, we just stayed home, cooked some burgers and corn on the cob on the grill, and hung out with Paw Paw and Memaw.




And, big party people we are, we all went to Sears to get a weedwacker. The hub and I were exhausted from our productive weekend of cleaning out the garage and putting away the baby items Emily used, so by Monday we were done. Truth be told, we still have to get up early on our day off since Britton's internal clock doesn't much care her mommy and daddy could be sleeping in.

But can I just say? Look at that hair! Maybe if I'm going to seek any independence, it'll be from my no-style in-a-ponytail-every-day hair. Think I can bring this picture to Hair Cuttery and they can make it work?

twenty-three months

Only one more month until Britton turns two and I seriously cannot believe it. She has grown in leaps and bounds in her vocabulary lately - she can sing the alphabet song the entire way through, can count to ten on her own, and she has taken to talking in full sentences with descriptive words. No longer is it, "No want." Now it's, "I don't want that. Yucky." She repeats everything we say, though luckily she hasn't caught on to my sailor mouth yet.

No statistics since we don't go to the doctor for a month, but she's getting so tall and her hair is so long that she is regularly mistaken for a three-year-old. Britton is absolutely in love with being outdoors, which can be tough in the hot 100 degree days in Texas. She loves her baby pool, especially splashing, as well as chalk drawing and her sand and water table. She is identifying more things in her books, and knows tons of animals. Britton's favorite color du jour is pink, and she can also identify purple, blue, and sometimes red and green if she feels like it!

Britton sings along to her Laurie Berkner CD every morning, and even if she doesn't know all the words she sings a jumble of words to the tune. She also enjoys pointing out every single car, truck, and cow we pass on the way to daycare!

Britton is now in 3T and 4T clothes, mainly due to her height. She is wearing size 7 shoes and can put on and take off her own shoes and socks. Paw Paw and Memaw took Britton to the boat store today, and she spied one of those portable toilets on the boat. Paw Paw said she pulled down her shorts, pulled up her shirt, and attempted to pull off her diaper to use the toilet! She likes sitting on the potty and can identify correctly when she has peed or pooped in her diaper, but for now sitting on the potty hasn't produced any byproducts.

As far as eating, if Britton eats a big lunch she isn't so hungry for dinner. She has finally tried yogurt and liked it, but since then it's been hit or miss. She also liked the hub's lunch today of pickles and hummus on pita, so we're letting her eat off our plates if the food interests her. It just exposes her to more variety. Britton has lately been really into bananas, strawberries, lemonade, coleslaw, broccoli rice casserole, and fruit chewies.



Likes: water in any form, coloring, singing, when people visit us, iced tea, ice in general, reading books, sitting on the potty, ice cream

Dislikes:Having her diaper changed, having her hair done, being made to come indoors when it's too hot out, when Sadie tries to steal her food