Pride

Ask any psychologist and they will most like confirm the following statement:  Men tend to find pride in their jobs while women find pride in their families and homes.  I believe this statement 100%. 

My family is beautiful.  We've got a handsome little man that can charm just about any person he meets.  He's happy, healthy, and thriving perfectly. 

My home, on the other hand, is less than perfect.  I must start by saying that I am extremely grateful for the home my husband and I were able to purchase.  It far exceeded our expectations as far as what we believed our first home would look like.

Recently I was asked what I dislike about our home so much.  This may seem nit picky but I want to create a home I can be 100% proud of.  As it stands right now, I'm embarrassed when  friends come over.  I feel as if we should have made so much more out of this place at this point in our lives.  I'm not looking to live in a museum or anything, I just want to be proud of my home.

So without further ado, here's a fairly extensive list of what I would love to change about my house:
1.  mulch
2.  edge all flowerbeds
3.  level the mailbox
4.  repaint the garage door
5.  change shutters
6.  lawn maintenance (a constant battle)
7.  rough wood on the fence
8.  minimize tree in backyard closest to house
9.  weed (again, a constant battle)
10.  add landscaping to side of house closest to Clearbrook
11.  shed
12.  dust, sweep, mop...general cleanliness and clutter
13.  caulking on all windows
14.  paintings on top of bookshelves
15.  make bookshelves flush with walls
16.  remove paint from entry ceiling
17.  new family room furniture
18.  wall decor in family room
19.  window treatments in family room
20.  remove and replace linoleum in kitchen
21.  add cabinets above refridgerator
22.  clean inside of fridge and freezer
23.  add screw to exhaust fan above stove
24.  window treatments in kitchen (valances?/ blind length)
25.  countertops/ backsplash (very ambitious)
26.  kitchen table
27.  fix child lock on pantry door
28.  back door bolt lock
29.  decorative telephone in kitchen
30.  new living room couches and furniture
31.  replace living room rug
32.  replace filter in living room
33.art work for guest bathroom
34.  add strip separating guest br and hallway
35.  front door locks
36.  laundry room doors
37.  new dryer (ambitious)
38.  garage organization
39.  step railing
40.  nail down attic trim
41.  hallway art?
42.  master br doorway trim
43.  new master br dressers
44.  remove/replace BR floor
45.  fix shower curtain rod
46.  patch wood holes
47.  repaint br
48.  Ethan's closet doors
49.  hang pics in Ethan's room
50.  clean all carpets
51.  new guest room dresser
52.  declutter guest room closet/bed
53.  guest room window treatments

A Full Sentence!

Ethan has spoken his first full sentence.  While it is only two words, it's still a complete sentence.  As Chris was leaving yesterday, Ethan looked at him and said, "bye bye, dada!"  He repeated the same sentence at bedtime tonight as Chris left the room.  So exciting!

Ethan is also practicing calling Grandma Kathy "Mimi."  While he can say the words, he's not able to connect the words to the person just yet.  I'm sure Grandma will be working on that a lot tomorrow night when Ethan spends the night.  We can't have Ethan calling Pawpaw over Mimi!

New Teefers and More

I noticed tonight Ethan is sprouting yet another tooth.  This time it's another bottom front tooth.  This brings our grand total to 8!

In addition, Ethan can now say the words moeeee (more) and boobs.  So proud!

In unrelated news, we took Ethan to the doctor this past Saturday for a horrible case of diaper rash.  Turns out it is eczema and just needs to be treated with Aquaphor until the weather makes it disappear.  The good news is that little man weighed in at 27 lbs!

Ethan's First Haircut

Ethan had his very first hair cut this weekend.  We took him to Cookie Cutters in Eastgate and the place is adorable.  As soon as you walk in, there's  jungle gym type equipment for the little guys to climb on.

Next, Ethan got to pick a DVD to watch while getting his hair cut.  Ethan chose his favorite show, Yo Gabba Gabba.

Then, he got to choose any seat in the place.  In honor of Great Grandpa McMillan, Ethan chose the fire engine.

Ethan sat through the hair cut patiently, just watching the show and other kids throwing temper tantrums.  He really did wonderfully.

Afterward, Ethan received a certificate recognizing his first hair cut while we placed his baby locks in a baggie for safe keeping.  What a wonderfully handsome little guy!