Work Smarter, Not Harder

I had a professor in college who always used that phrase and it drove me nuts.  And I just used it as the title to this post....But, Ingrid has figured it out.  Why crawl, when you can ride?  She can travel by tub or tug. We had a lot of fun with family this weekend and Ingrid Cate found some new forms of transportation.

80 years

Happy Birthday to my poppy today. Thank you so much for the following memories:

helping in the garden
cheering me on at all my basketball games
playing smutt
fixing your hair in millions of clips and ponytail holders
driving your truck through the fields
getting push-ups after school
bottle feeding a calf
watching me ride the big wheel over and over
listening to me sing songs (even made up ones)
taking me to cattle sales
playing slap jack
letting me tie you up (see above picture!)
listening to all my stories

There are many many more. But I just wanted to name a few. I love you Pop. Happy 80th Birthday!

Collections

When Derek and I first started going to flea markets, he was always looking for records. Every place we went, Derek would find the booths with records and hunch over those crates for what seemed like hours. He always knew which artists he was looking for and it was super fun for him to dig. Not as much fun for me. So I started looking for my own sorts of records. I knew we would eventually have kids one day and I thought it would be special for them to have a collection to call theirs. So I started my own hunt. For kiddie records. I've collected quite a few and it's getting harder to find ones I don't already have. Some of the illustrations on the covers are beautiful. Check out "The Little Engine That Could."  I wish I would have gotten a picture of "It's a Small World." I love the perfect rows of unique little people. So charming.  It's my favorite cover.  And some of the Disney records play the actual story, not just the songs. And I was even lucky enough to find paper copies of the stories enclosed in a couple. And my hunch was right, we did have a kid of our own! haha. I let Ingrid look through these records for the first time the other day and she had a blast. I look forward to when she can listen to some of the stories and follow along in the books. What fun we will have!

Spring Break

Today officially started Bergman's spring break. But, as you know, Ingrid and I started a little early. Yesterday was the start of ours. I had already planned on being away from school since both of my sitters were out of pocket, and since I got sick it worked out for the best anyway. We had tons of fun (between coughing outbursts of course).

We blew bubbles.

And read books.

And laughed and played.



Today we had just as much fun. We started off the day inside at the play table mom let me bring to my house for spring break. Such a great idea!! Ingrid has loved having something new to play with at our house for a few days.

Very busy concentrating.

Blue-eyed beauty!

Funny hair.

I've been sitting here wondering how in the world I got a picture of her so still and it just dawned on me! Ing had found my phone. No wonder she looks like a statue.
It was even warmer today so we took another stroller ride and cooled off with some water. Stroller rides sure do make some girls sleepy. But definitely not sleepy enough for a nap. Who would ever want to take a nap???

I love how Ingrid Cate has my little chubby toes.

And then for the best part of the day...mom and dad got home from Vegas! Bearing gifts of course.


I'm so proud of them for taking a much deserved trip together. Derek is off tomorrow and Friday to spend the rest of spring break with Ingrid and me and I'm so happy!

I'm alive...

...barely. It was questionable at times. But I made it through the flu. I definitely had the flu. I still have bronchitis. But it's no biggie. Nothing like that awful flu. It makes you feel like death. Bluck. I hated it. I felt so much better this morning I felt like doing a dance. I finally got to see Ingrid!!! After 2 days of isolation, it felt like an eternity. I was going to try to make it 24 hours fever-free before I saw her, but I felt like that was never going to happen. Still might not. So I'm counting anything under 100 as no fever. That's my solution. So according to my rules I didn't have a fever today! And we spent all day together. I will share a few photos of our glorious day and then I must go to bed. It is 11:30 and I don't want a relapse.

Sad Sack Saturday

This post comes to you from my bed. Where I have been all day long except the two hours I was at Mediquick this morning. I'm sick. According to the doc, I have an upper respiratory infection and bronchitis. But I could swear I have flu. What's up with this fever? I don't ever run a fever like this with bronchitis. And the body aches? You would think I just ran an ironman. I could see this sickness coming on. My students have been sick for two weeks. Coughing and coughing and coughing. It was only a matter of time. I can only wash my hands so many times a day. Normal Stephanie wouldn't have even gone to the doctor after one day of feeling awful. But since Ingrid is now in the picture I knew I need to get better ASAP. I haven't seen her all day. Trying to stay clear until my fever goes away and my cough sounds less beastly. I'd like to pretend I've been strong all day but there have been several instances where I might have cried because my Saturday at home with my baby has been RUINED by this awful sickness. Sigh. I'm just hoping tomorrow I can feel 100 times better. I'm trying to think about mom and dad in Vegas right now to get my mind off myself. (so selfish). I'm hoping they are in the coke store drinking a delicious coke iccee! Grrr. That just started another round of chills. Good bye.

Warmth

It has been pretty warm the past couple of days here in the Ozarks. And I'm loving it. I can almost taste spring break. It's so close. And I think the actual season of spring is close too. Because I saw buds on Meme and Pop's bradford pear trees! I love those two trees. Maybe we should plant some at our house? Or perhaps we have more than enough trees. haha. I love getting to drive by Meme and Pop's house every day before and after work. It's so lovely. And I love going to Mom and Dad's too. Makes for a pretty great morning and afternoon. Now if I could just work on the in-between. Kidding. Not really. But seriously...

Mom and Ingrid are usually playing up a storm when I arrive to pick her up. Yesterday I drove up to find this:



Ingrid was loving the mini four-wheeler. Apparently she had been riding it for about 40 minutes before I pulled up. (My back would have already broken in half, by the way. But not my moms. She's superhuman you know.)  I took some quick snaps with my phone.  Ingrid was having a blast.  I just can't hardly wait for more spring days and more outside play time.  Bring on the warmth.

Back in Time

I need to go back in time a little bit to catch up on everything that's gone on! But before I do--thanks so much for all the feedback on your wallpaper faves. It's hilarious that almost every sample was chosen by someone. That really helps me a lot...hahaha.

Friday I got called down to the office...duhn duhn duhn. But it was only for these:

Derek sent me flowers because he knew I had been having a hard week at work and he just wanted me to know he was proud of me. So sweet. And definitely a pick-me-up for the busy weekend ahead!

Saturday evening Derek and I had to go help at the beauty pageant at school, so we made the most of our day with Ingrid. Sunday was a busy day too. We got to see MB and Maelea at Sheree's baby shower. And then IC got to play with Amelia at Gammy's afterwards!! What a day. Amelia and Ingrid played together really well.

Here they are at the play table.

Something caught Ingrid's eye...

Holy Cuteness!

Amelia showing she's the big girl of the bunch.

Ingrid was trying to be a big girl too. She helped drive the bus. Look at her little hand on the steering wheel.


On Monday, Mary Beth, Alex, and Maelea came over for a little visit. We had so much fun. I'm just praying and praying that they can be closer some day soon. I didn't want the night to ever end. Maelea is even more precious in person than in all the pics on MB's blog. She even let me hold her a little bit and I was so happy. I snuck in all the cuddles and snuggles I could. She is such a laid-back girl. She clapped all night long and waved and waved and waved! We tried to get some good pics of the papas with their girls and the mamas with their girls, but we weren't that successful. And as I looked back through the photos, it seems Ingrid couldn't take her eyes off our company. She was mesmerized.

Sharing & Playing



A-Hatch and D-Money with their girls.

Did you notice where the girls are looking? It cracked me up.

We tried to get a good one....Ing was only worried about looking at her friend.

This one was better.

Totally Obsessed With....

Wallpaper

I've been wanting wallpaper up in our house since we moved in. I almost almost almost covered one wall of Ingrid's nursery in Ferm Living's yellow trees.  I thought it would be so cute and graphic...

But I chickened out because it seemed so "permanent." And I like to change things up so much. But I'm ready to make the leap. Ever since we repainted and rearranged our living room a couple months ago, the wall behind the television has been driving me nuts. It's just blank. And white. And I want a big pop of color and pattern. That only wallpaper can give me. Derek and I have both agreed to change the color palette in the living room from yellow to turquoise. We don't really know what shade of turquoise. We could go more aqua or teal or 50s blue...we're just not sure. So I have started saving digital wallpaper samples in a whole multitude of blues. I definitely have some favorites. What are yours?

Papermills

Verona

Native

Anthropologie

Lofty Larks

Graham & Brown

Lacework

Allum

Peony

Ferm Living

Family Tree

Missprint

Little Trees

Muscat Small

Walnut Wallpaper

Jeanne