It's Official!

Janna's 2!! Which means she's no longer a baby. She's officially a toddler now. A bonafide Big Girl. Or as she likes to call herself, "Janna Ellen Princess Monkey".

Miss Monkey is growing and growing. Well, kind of. My Girl is a big ball of sass wrapped up in a wee little package. But she's cute! And very smart. And fiercely independent. And extremely cuddly. She's just such a great Little Girl!

Since I love boring you guys with pictures of my kids, allow me to share the last 12 months with you. I already posted her first 12 months in pictures here, so I'll pick up with month 13.

Janna - 13 months. Calling Gramma has always been one of her favorite things to do!

14 months - Janna would happily stay in the tub for hours if you let her.

15 months - BOO!! It's almost time for Halloween!

16 months - The climbing has begun! Keeping Janna off of any and all furniture (box, step, whatever) has become nearly impossible!

17 months - Christmas Eve!

18 months - Mommy's boots are so much fun to wear!

19 months - Janna insists on feeding herself. And since that's easier (for me) than listening to her whine, I allow it.

20 months - I love "riding" bikes!

21 months - Janna has discovered the joys of crafting! Playdoh, crayons (she doesn't eat them anymore!!), markers, paint...she loves to make things!

22 months - Darth Janna! Everything Sissy has, Janna wants! She idolizes her siblings!

23 months - The pack and play has become a jungle gym. Janna likes to nap, but when she's done, she DONE.

24 months - Happy Birthday, Baby Janna! You might not technically be a "baby baby" anymore, but you'll always be our baby!

Another Person's Garbage...

...is very often my treasure. I love to dumpster dive - and I don't have a problem admitting it. People (myself included) throw away so many useful things without thinking about it. In the late winter of 2008 I found this in my next door neighbor's trash pile:

It's a child's desk. It was painted white, and there were decals, stains, cut marks, and all kinds of filth all over it. I figured that we could simply repaint it and use it for Gabriel. Jon and his Dad (pictured above) stripped the desk last fall and discovered that underneath the 452 layers of white (and then brown) paint was a sturdy desk constructed from solid maple.

Jon decided that with Gabriel going into Kindergarten he would use the summer to finish what he and his father had started. So we took the desk with us to PA. Jon did all of the sanding, I did all of the staining.

What do you think?

I think it turned out beautifully! The top of the desk is so smooth...and it looks like satin. I love it! It's the perfect size for The Boy's room. It has built-in pencil holders and the shelves on the side are perfect for his books. Instead of buying him a cheap piece of faux-wood junk, he has this. A beautiful piece of furniture that should last him forever. And it was FREE! (Well, we did have to buy stain and extra sandpaper, but the $20 or so spent on that was totally worth it!)

I'm Baaaaack!!

The week was fantastic! I won't go into detail now (cuz I'm too tired), but I'll add pics sometime this week. I took so many pictures I literally had to go buy more SD cards for my camera. It was one of the best weeks I've ever had. And I know the Hosers loved it, too!!

Checking In...

I'm in PA. And having the best friggin' time EVER!! The kids have been having a blast playing...and playing...and playing. They have been outside every day, all day...it's been amazing.

I'll update and add pictures when I get home. I'm going back outside with my hubby!!