H2O

Unbelievable! The pretty perfect cleaning solution has been dripping from my faucet, pouring out of my showerhead, and burning my hands as I wash dishes because I used water that's a smidgen too hot -- plain, unadulterated water. Yesterday, armed with spray bottle, HOT water from the tap, and terry cloth cover (that I already had and is 100% washable), I mopped my kitchen floor. It made the floor FEEL clean which is my number one must-have, and it didn't strip the floor of its natural sheen. Many thanks to Stephanie and Renee for letting me in on that secret.

Rain drops keep falling on my head!
And just like the guy whose feet were too big for his bed
Nothing seems to fit
Rain drops keep falling on my head
They keep falling
Because I'm free!

If you can make sense of this song -- let me know!

How Clean Can You Be?

Hello everyone. I'm looking for a little feedback about cleaning hardwood floors. I'm in the market for a vacuum that works well on hw and I have just started reading about dry/wet vacs that clean & dry hard floors. I currently sweep with two different brooms, and mop SUPER rarely because it's a third step! Also, I've bought two mops within the past 2 years because I couldn't find replacement mop heads (completely FRUSTRATING!)
So, my questions are:
If you have hardwoods, what do you use to clean them?
Do you have a vacuum that you use on hardwoods?
Have you used a Hard Floor Cleaner like this one? What did you think of it?
Thanks!

What a Fix I'm In!

Aaarg! Shiver me timbers!

Momma, a lily pad is on my head!
I sat her ON the lily pad when I left her. When I came back, this is how I found her. I think she was trying to get the tag. She has a BIG thing for tags!

She sure loves to get her head into everything! What a daddy's little girl! Josh is right, momma's girl doesn't sound quite as nice. She's going through a "Ma-ma-ma-ma" phase right now.

Fun Facts:
1. I can say ma-ma-ma-ma and mean it. Sometimes I say "mom" and sound really grown up.
2. I love to drink out of a big girl's cup. Forget the sippy cup thing. I'm skipping it!
3. I still go to bed at 9:30 and wake up at 8:00. Yeah for mom!
4. I'm nursing 4 times a day for about 5 minutes each time. It just dropped down from 1 hr to 5 minutes. Mom wasn't really prepared for that. I think her feelings are hurt.
5. Although she is proficient at rolling all over and sitting up quite well, she has shown NO ability at getting up on hands & knees and therefore is several steps away from crawling. Unless she skips the step altogether, I don't think Josh's goal of walking by 8 months will be attained.
6. Food favorites: Avocado mixed with peach. It's yummy, you should all try it. (I have!)
7. She loves to play itsy-bitsy spider, peek-a-boo, This little piggy, and How Big is the Baby?

Speaking of which, I overheard Josh playing with Kate: " This little piggy went to Publix. This little piggy stayed home. This little piggy went to Ingles. This little piggy went to Kroger. And this little piggy was hungry and cried, 'Wee, wee, wee, all the way home.' " Sometimes, he just throws in one original one and keeps the rest the same. My favorite one was, "This little piggy went to Autozone. :-)

Random Movie Recommendation: BBC Series North and South -- It is NOT about the Civil War. It's based on a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell and is set in England. I watched it on my computer and stayed up late one night finishing it IN BED. I'm sure my soul will go to perdition, but it was sort of like reading in bed, right?

Don't I Look So Purty?

Taken at David's Bridal. . . I think she'll have to have a little coronet for Brittny's wedding. It looks so precious!

Dum-dum-du-dum

Alright, it's way too early for her to be thinking about weddings, but she did think it was awesome to have a photo shoot with her mom's veil on. A couple of nights ago we had a bridal extravaganza with Brittny. In the course of the evening, Jen's veil came down and boy, did Lydia's eyes brighten up when Bit-ny let her try it on. In fact, she rarely likes to "sit" for pictures, but she was quite content to let me snap a few. Knowing how long my camera takes to recover between shots, this many pictures means she was patient for QUITE a while. I WISH I had had my film camera there. Also, there are three new posts, so don't miss them. I let too many pictures pile up, and this is what happens!

How Old Are You?

Lydia's P-0-0-l Party was a big hit! We've taken to spelling out 'that word' because Lydia loves it so much that every time it is mentioned, she wants to go there! I know that this is what Mima and Papa were thinking of when they put their pool in -- wonderful family gatherings. Of course, Kate won't be having her parties at the pool, but what can you expect, being born in December! The party had a distinct Dora theme. Cake, many of the presents, and probably Lydia's favorite thing there: be-woons!