Legos, Books and Black Bean Fritters

Mia and I built a lego zoo (the pic above is the goose she built), she made a book for her daddy, played at the pool and tried black bean fritters.  As you can see the reaction to the black bean fritters was less than ideal, but she ate it so I'm happy.

Library Day

Richland Mall

A few days ago Mia found out from a catalog we received in the mail that Build-A-Bear now carries both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie from My Little Pony (which happens to be her absolute favorite cartoon).  As soon as she saw this she knew exactly where her money was going.  After counting her coins and being told that yes, she had enough for the doll but not for all of the accessories shown in the pictures she decided that she did indeed have to have her very own.  So off we went to Richland Mall today to get a Rainbow Dash.  After building said pony (who was named "Lily Rainbow Dash Dyer") we walked around for a bit and then she played in the play area and by play I mostly mean she chased a little boy around while growling at him.  Yes - growling - she was the monster and he was the scared little boy.  LOL

Obviously we didn't get to go to Dallas after all.  The weather didn't end up being bad but I'm a scaredy cat when it comes to possible storms - especially with a 2 hour drive.  Hopefully the forecast will settle down and we'll make it up there soon.

T-Ball starts Tuesday and swimming the week after.  We are getting really excited about that!  Not only will Mia be around other kids and Ben and I around other adults but it will also be great to get back into a weekly routine!  Yippee!

Just an ordinary day

The squirt and I hung out today just cleaning, organizing, doing laundry and other ordinary stuff.  We started working on Ben's father's day present and set up a "dining area".  I decided that eating at an actual table was much more important to me than having my sewing machine set up all the time.  Eating in front of the tv was getting really, really old so I picked up another rug (to avoid potential food stains on the carpet), some more folding chairs, threw a table cloth on the folding table and added a napkin holder - voila - a dining room area!  LOL

Ben and Mia have started working on more math together - she loves numbers (that definitely came from her daddy because all they do is confuse me :-P).

Tomorrow is supposed to be our Dallas trip but the weather report is iffy so I'll make that decision in the morning.

Happy Memorial Day!

Tomorrow we go back to the "real world".  We had a fabulous holiday weekend together as a family - tons of pool time, a trip to the zoo and lots of yummy food.

Pool, flowers and Arrested Development

More herbs have sprouted and our flowers are still alive (I'm pretty sure this is some kind of record for me - LOL)!  We spent the majority of the day at the pool and Mia got to have quality play time with several kiddos her own age.  Today was the release of Season 4 of Arrested Development which we have been waiting on forever!!!  Needless to say that's what Ben and I will be watching once Mia heads to bed.

Facepainting at the farmer's market

Mia had so much fun getting her face painted today!  Other than our usual Saturday morning trip to the market we just chilled around the apartment and played at the pool for a little while.  It was a lovely and relaxing day!

Basil, Boots and Petunias

When I went out to water all the herbs and flowers this morning I found that the sweet basil had sprouted!!!  None of the other herbs have made an appearance yet but our flowers are doing beautifully.  One of the seeds Mia planted has sprouted and the other plants are putting on all kinds of new blooms.

Mia and I went on a shopping expedition today to find me some authentic cowboy boots.  I have a pair of knock offs that I've had since before Ben and I started dating but now that we live in Texas I felt like it was time to get some real ones.  I decided on some beautiful Ariat books that are dark brown with turquoise stitching ... and I already have my eyes on a black pair - but I'll have to save my pennies for a while ... maybe for Christmas. :)

It's a holiday weekend!  We briefly considered traveling north or south and checking out some sites but in the end just decided to have a "no plans/do nothing" weekend.

A huge thank you to all the service men and women for your brave service and to your families for their sacrifices as well.

Gloomy Weather

Every morning this week we have woken up to super gloomy skies - most days the sky has cleared by the afternoon and the day has turned gorgeous.  Today was not one of those days.  Starting the day out in gloomy weather is hard ... it really beats on my positivity and productivy and definitely causes serious cabin fever in both Mia and I.  Today we attempted to combat it with a trip to the library.  Yes, we just went yesterday but that was before we checked the mail and our cards had come.  We spent almost 2 hours this morning looking at kids books, reading and hanging out in the little play area they have.  Mia talked to a couple kiddos and had a good time.  I have no idea how Ben and I ended up with such an extroverted child.  When it comes to adults - she isn't so much but when there are other kids around nothing is going to stop her from going up to them, saying hi, telling them her name and that she is 4.   It's quite adorable.

Tonight Mia accomplished something absolutely HUGE. For those of you that know the battle we have had with her and food - well, you might want to sit down because...

she...

ate...

SUSHI!

I'm serious - no fuss, no bribes (she did ask that if she ate all her dinner could she have strawberries afterwards which of course I said yes to), no whining, nothing... I'm serious...  I took pictures because I knew some of you wouldn't believe me (after all I could barely believe it myself...).

Visiting the local library

Our trip to Dallas was postponed today due to the possibility of continuing bad weather.  So we went to West Waco Library and Genealogy Center for story time.  Last week was kind of a bust but today was a lot of fun.  The theme was "Digging into reading at the beach" and they had two stories and a craft.  We also *finally* got our library cards - I say *finally* because it pretty much takes an act of congress to get your library card - and after going thru all the riggamaroll you have to wait for them to mail them to you.  It's all good now tho - we have our cards and can go check out lots of books. :)

Turned out to be a gorgeous day and another perfect afternoon to play at the pool.  While there Mia met a little girl who, it turned out, lives right next door to us!  When it was time to leave the pool Mia invited J over to play and they played games and watched My Little Pony together.  I think Mia really enjoyed herself and I hope J did too.  I did, however, have to have the "sweetie - you need to ask mommy first before you invite someone over" conversation.  :)

Tonight we are planning on having a google hangout with friends back home which will be fun!

Storms!

Well, Mia and I weathered our first storms today - alone in a second story apartment - kinda stressful.  Thankfully the storm wasn't that bad (severe weather advisory, severe thunderstorm, hail and tornado watch) and didn't last long (about an hour).  Mia had fun playing squinkies in her "storm fort" aka Ben's walk in closet.  It's the inner most room of the apartment so it makes for a great spot to stay safe.  Definitely stressful for this momma tho ... after the storms in Alabama in April 2011 I have been much more nervous about severe weather.  Evidently they do not have a siren warning system here in Waco - I find that to be really weird.

Before all that started Mia and I hit up the thrift store that is close to the apartment.  Secretly I was hoping to find some of the glassware we donated when we first moved here because one of my glasses has since broken but alas - I didn't.  It's fine tho - we found some awesome clothes and Mia got a frilly dress and a little kid belt so her day was made.

Just an ordinary day

again...
I've decided when there isn't something specific to post about I'll just call the post "just another ordinary day" ... I still want to post so I keep up the habit.

Today was essentially just another day... add in some whining, crying and tantrums to make it interesting. Mia had a bit of a rough day but she seems back on track tonight.
We played games, practiced t-ball and took a couple walks.  We also made plans to go to Dallas to see a very sweet lady this week.  We are super excited to see some of the sights up there.  For being in the middle of nowhere Waco is perfectly positioned close to big cities - Austin, Dallas, and Fort Worth are all within a 2 hour drive.  Hopefully Little Miss will wake up in a better mood tomorrow and the day won't be so trying.

Sunday Fun

Flowers! Succulents! Herbs!
Mia and I put together two porch rail boxes, Ben did a really cool succulent arrangement and I planted some herbs (chives, cilantro, basil, rosemary, oregano and parsley) and an aloe plant.  Dinner tonight consists of all things from the farmer's market - a sausage and veggie dish I made up - here's hoping it tastes good!  Mia is a little under the weather - I think she might be dehydrated as she's complaining about her tummy being upset but there aren't any other symptoms and eating isn't bothering her.  I'm sure she'll bounce back quickly but we are going to skip the pool today just in case.  Over all it's been a wonderful weekend!

Update:
Turns out I didn't make the dish up it was one stored really, really far back in my memory - turns out it was a ratatouille and Ben did an awesome job cooking it.  The sausage he used was a czech style sausage and was very good.  I can't wait to get it again - next time I think I'll use it in a breakfast casserole.

New Saturday morning tradition

Our new Saturday morning tradition is to head to the Waco Downtown Farmer's Market followed by lunch at FreeBirds World Burritos.  The farmer's market is quite frankly AMAZING!  The picture above is all of our "loot" from the first weekend we went - sweet potatoes, carrots, lettuce, dill, rosemary, royal dip, spinach pakora, local olive oil, local jalapeno infused olive oil, naan, brocolli and an onion.  Since we've been back we've also gotten spinach, peaches, potatoes, squash, steak, sausage, tamales, and tatsoi.  Not only is the produce lovely but the environment is sooo much fun.  There is live music, ready made food vendors, amazing coffee and teas, a picnic area and it's all set on the Brazos River so if you do grab food you can walk a few hundred feet and enjoy your food with a beautiful scenery.  This girl is enjoying every moment of it.

Unforeseen Changes

Several unforeseen huge changes have taken place since our move.  The first (and biggest and greatest!) is that Mia has started sleeping all night in her own bed consistently... like 5 out of 7 nights a week.  Which is insane since before it was a big deal if she did it 2 nights in a row.  :)  We are all enjoying that and adjusting.  The downside is that my personal sleep patterns have gotten way off - with her sleeping for 11-12 hours a night I've been doing the same - which for her is great - me not so much.  It leaves me feeling ridiculously groggy in the morning so I've started this week working on going to bed later (10pm - don't laugh too hard now) and getting up at 6 (that's still dark here).

The other change is in me.  It's crazy how moving to a new town where you don't know anyone can be so freeing.  I've worn more dresses in the last 4 weeks than I have in the last 4 years.  It's been so much fun being myself without concern for what others think.  I have also enjoyed decorating the apartment - it definitely screams our artistic sides.  We have our photography hanging everywhere, our cameras displayed and various other things we have created over the years.  There is definitely no mistaking who lives here.  :) (and there's no painters tape anywhere! LOL)

Today was an awesome mommy/mia day.  We had lunch with Ben and then she and I went out for yogurt at our favorite yogurt shop (they carry a non-dairy flavor that changes each week).  After a short rest time we headed to the pool and stayed for the rest of the afternoon.  We are both loving all the sunshine and fresh air.  The downside of an apartment is definitely the tiny space - the upside is the pool, the basketball court, the playground and a worry free area for walking/running/riding bikes.  I am so blessed with this little girl.

Organized sports! First up T-Ball.

Tiny nikes, tiny bat, tiny glove and tiny helmet - meet Mia the ferocious t-ball player.  Okay - ferocious doesn't fit anywhere in that sentence... because let's face it - she's just way too adorable looking.

Last night we went to get her a glove and ended up with - well - everything she could possibly need ... bat, balls, glove, shoes, helmet, bag and a tee.  She and I took all her equipment out to the basketball court here in the complex and practiced this morning.  It was a lot of fun.  Unlike my little brother she didn't complain about her hand having a headache.  ;)

When we were going thru everything at home before moving I found my t-ball medal from playing in Northeast Texas when I was Mia's age so I'm super excited about her playing.  Plus it will give us the opportunity to meet people with kids Mia's age.  Here's hoping she is placed on a laid back team and there aren't your cliche crazy parents involved.  :)

Just an ordinary day

picture taken by Mia on our balcony

Today has just been an ordinary day.  I cleaned up the apartment, we went on a walk around the complex and I've set up this blog.  Mia is spending the afternoon writing notes to all her friends back home and tonight is family night out.  I think we are going to try a new mexican restaurant in central Waco.   I'm doing my best to enjoy the "ordinary" days.  Life is a lot slower now.  For one thing the apartment is a lot easier to keep clean than the house ever was and since we haven't met any one yet our calendar is empty.  A friend of mine jokingly referred to me as "a woman of leisure" and I was like "NO! I don't want to be a woman of leisure - I need something to stress over!"  The more I think about that conversation the more I realize how silly it was so I'm trying to sit back and enjoy the down time.  There's plenty of time to stress later - like next month when Mia will start swimming lessons and t-ball.

We've been here a month!

It's hard to believe that we have already been here a month.  We have kept ourselves busy learning our way around and finding fun stuff to do.  Mia and I spent the first two weeks unpacking everything and getting the apartment set up and since then have been doing a lot of exploring.  We found a couple "mom stores" aka craft store, have thoroughly explored the local super market, have gone to the farmer's market each Saturday, visited several parks, the zoo and one of the local museums.

1. Our stuff arrived! (April 15th)
2. Some decorating is done in the kitchen!
3. Mia enjoying our balcony.
4. Mia and I planted some flower.  Beauty amongst the chaos. (April 18th)
5. Our first home cooked meal at the apartment.  French toast and bacon! (April 21st)
6. Pool time!
7. Pictures are going up.  We may not have furniture yet but there is no doubt who lives here.
8. More pictures
9.Living Room is set up! (April 28th)
10. We found a "mom store"!  It felt great to get the glue gun out.
11. Kindergarten Roundup!  (April 30th)
12. First visit to the Waco Downtown Farmer's Market.
13. Hairbows are hung and Mia's bathroom is decorated. She chose frogs!
14. Trip to Cameron Park Zoo.
15. Bookcases are built and last boxes are unpacked.
16. Visit to the Mayborn Museum on the Baylor campus.
17. Sewing area.
18. Playing in Cameron Park with Texas family.
19. Dinner! (Salad made with veggies from the farmer's market)

The beginning of the adventure

Rather than excessive posting on facebook we thought we would start a blog about our grand adventure.  A fun way to journal about our adventure and keep friends and family up to date.  

A short overview:

Ben was offered a job, which he accepted, with a company in Waco, Texas at the end of March.  March 29th - Ben and I flew out to Waco to find an apartment.  April 12th - everything we could bring was on a moving truck, one car was transported and our other car was packed and ready for us to drive 13 hours to our new home.