Beeble Chatter Time Capsule - 21 months

Scarlet loves to spend time trashing playing in her room by herself.  This evening she was yapping away so much that I snuck in and watched her play.  She wasn't phased by me there at all, continuing in independent play.  I felt Like Jane Goodall, watching a Beeble in her natural habitat.  I snapped a few pics and decided to  capture the chatter of my little 21 month old in a blog time capsule. So here is a live stream of everything (comprehensible) that came out of her mouth in the period of 15 min.

"Come on!  Come on Ernie!  Der it is!  You yike dis Ernie.  *smothers Ernie with blanket*  Nigh-niiiiiight, oh wate up!  You yike puzzoh.  hmmmmm wet's seee.  his frwiends. anna Emmo, common elmo! *drops elmo*  Oh No!!  You okay Emmo?  *picks all toys up and purposely drops them*  Oh no!  You okay Ernie?  You okay Emmo?  One, Two Emmos! *drops both* Uh oh!  Ooooh nooooo!  You ok Ernie eh Emmo?    Is frwiends! Is shoooes?  Buckles?  Heewp?  My buckles?  Heewp witsh shooes?  Emmo in shoes?  You oo Ernie!  Common *shoves Ernie into one of her shoes*   Burt inna Ernie oh-weo-weo-weo an a Dohyee! (dolly)

*hits musical toy and sings* LA-LALAAAAA-LLLAAAAAAA!  LA-LAAAaaa Laaaaaa! *shriek* Weeeoooo weeeooo weeoewowow! I got a duck.  QUAAAAACK.

 Oh-e-oh-e-oh-e-oh pway toys!  *studies pictures on her wooden block*  One, Two, Free boons!  I need a bwock.  Buiwd a towerh. *organizes the pieces so that the same shapes are all together*  Onnne, Twoooooo, Freeeee,  It's soo high!  Soo high!  Pweetty, a towerh, so high.  A towehr. I got it.  *Sings* Heeeeaaaad, shhhoouuuldyuhs, knees an tooooees. Eyes an eaaaoooooo and mouf and nooose.  High towehr.  Geegogeegogeegogeego. <-- that and the "oh-weo-weo" business is her filler talk in conversation.  It must be what she thinks English sounds like.

A puppy!  Hi puppy!  Doggy. It's a doggy.  Come on doggy!  Come on!  Hmmmmm, wet's see.  How booooouuuuuut? A book?  Der it is! *reads* A baby? A cow? A syeep?   Ni-night horsey.  Ni-night cow.


That's enough I think.  Her natural habitat is now a disaster zone and we're past bed time.
If you read it all, Thank you!  If you understood it all,  high five.  I love watching her little language develop.  At this age, it's like a little window into her thoughts.  All new parents wonder what goes on in those little people brains of theirs so it's pretty cool when you finally get to hear little bits.

Sometimes, in the middle of an ordinary day...

Scarlet and I were in her room playing with a puzzle when all of a sudden we heard 
"Teeeeaaaaa Tiiiiimmmmmeee!"
loudly from the living room. We came out and low and behold!  The dining room table had been transformed into a tea palace and Scarlet had an exclusive ticket. 
 It was quite posh, as you could imagine.

Scarlet made sure all of her guests (Abbey, Elmo, Pommajama Monkey and a wooden aligator puzzle piece, ya know, the usual crowd) each had a taste of the tea.  She'd sllllluuuuurp it up and then declare it "Deeeeelish!" after every sip.  Eventually some menacing ducks came along and tried to ruin the whole event!  

Don't worry though, Daddy and Beeble scolded them, 

shooed them away and replaced the table settings.

  There was a bit too much cute to handle, soooo don't worry - I vlogged it!  
Watch your sub boxes. :)

A new piece of me

It's easy to relate to those less than perfect moments that make up this entire world, especially in parenting.  I know I didn't expect to float around in white linens with my plump, pink, cooing baby like Johnson & Johnson commercials portray.  I expected weird smells, weird sounds and weird things coming out of every open end of that bundle of delight.  I expected stuggle, sacrifice and a whole lot of "learning opportunities" for me and my daughter.

But to my delight, there are soooo many picture perfect-how-could-this-exist-in-real-life-moments in parenthood!  Ya never hear about those.  I was completely taken aback at how often and how many, fairytale moments I get to experience as a new momma. 
They're actual, literal precious moments.  Get away from the visual of pastel, porcelain dolls with those weird tear drop eyes if you can - and think of that actual phrase: precious moment.  

It's a blip in time that, as soon as it begins, strikes you with a heartache knowing that it has to end.  It sweeps your breath away and you drink in as much of it as possible, welling over with incomprehension of how to handle This. Much. Love.  You can't cope, tears flow and the moment gets closer to it's close.  It's overwhelmingly wonderful and heart breaking all at once.

I had one of those tonight.  I can't just let these moments slip away. So here I am, documenting in an attempt to reclaim it away from time distancing me from this feeling.

Tonight around 9pm I asked Scarlet if she was ready for bed.  She darted toward her room, cheerfully saying "Ni-nigh, yet's go!" I followed her in, closed the door, dimmed the lights and scooped her up. Scarlet snuggled into my neck and in the tiniest most precious voice I've ever heard her use, she started to repeat:  "I yuv you" over and over again. That voice, I can't even describe it.  So tiny and sweet.  It struck me fast and silent tears rolled down my cheeks. I rocked her slowly, holding tight.  My tiny baby that is growing out of my arms so quickly.  How is this my life?  How did I get this?  Surreal.  I rocked and listened to that little voice "I yuuuv youuuu. I yuuuuv youuuu." 

 Then we sat in her glider.  "Book?" she asked.  We read Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom and she spelled portions of her name each time she saw a letter "elle, ee, tee!" We sang Skiddamarink-a-Dink-a-Dink, doing the hand motions together and then I sang the lullaby that I made up for her when she was new. I stood back up, hugged her tight, took a deep breath and laid her down in her crib. "Ni-night love" I said. She stared up at me, blinked and said "thank you mama". 

Completely perfect.  Now a memory, and new piece of me.  I don't think there is anything more incredible than these gifts.

Unique Stocking Stuffers / Mini Gifts

Prepare to scroll!  This list is nearly as long as Santa's!
Each year I fill a stocking for everyone in my family.  They're definitely not just for kiddos anymore.  It's a fun way to give a "grab bag" style gift! However, finding treats that delight adults can be tricky.  Come November, I dive into all of the little bookmarks and pinnings I've been hoarding away all year and start planning my gifts.  I like to start with the stocking goodies because usually they inspire other ideas for great gifts.  In our family, we always include the traditional inexpensive bits. Clementine oranges, loose nuts in their shell and candies, chocolate oranges, little trinkets are a staple. Beyond that, I get creative with my stuffers,  usually adding one or two higher priced items (I'm talkin' $25 or less) for the wow factor.  So, I'm always on the look out for unique ideas.   I thought I'd share a sampling of my favorite finds this year.

These would be great mini-gifts for any time of year!  Consider them for Teacher gifts, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Valentines Day or as an idea for that uncle that you're just not sure what to buy for the Grandparents that have everything!

Craftable Stuffers

Tissue Cases from Martha Stewart - So Easy!  And everyone likes to fill their handbag with little treasures right?

Those are great for our mothers, girlfriends, aunts and grandmothers but if you'd like to make someone younger get excited about your little creation, stuff them with dollar bills instead of tissue!  Take the same idea as lovezilla has done below and just stash the cash into your travel tissue case.

The Helpful Tennis Ball - This little guy has so many uses, check out the link to see more pictures of what he can do.  

Little Envelope Journal from Instructables  - If this is for a little one you could fill the pockets with stickers and dollar bills.  Or if it's for an adult tuck in movie tickets, gift cards, or love notes inside!

DIY Bath Fizzies from Martha Stewart - Simple craft and one batch could be divided into several gifts!

Gift Card Snow Globe by thecreativemama - would be a great gift on it's own or a nice filler to plump up that stocking( perhaps a smaller jar for the stocking).  It's pretty much the perfect gift because obvious love and effort went into it, it's a fun little treasure hung all on it's own and they get to decide how to spend the dough!

Braided cuff bracelet or gadget strap from TJ Potter - If you did this with leather strands you could make a nice gift for that hipster in your life

Gadgety Goods

Colored Ear Phones to designate "His and Hers" - We go through these so fast and color coding takes away the "Are these mine or yours?" guesswork.  They're a must have for Ryan's stocking!  

Leatherman Manicure Multi-Tool ($17) - For those ultra manly manicures *gruntsandpoundschest*

Kick Stand Style IPhone Cases - Super inexpensive, tons of styles and so handy for watching videos and multitasking!

Or go for a retro case like this one from Society6 ($35) - They're are less pricey versions out there, go on a Google hunt!

A Cute USB Hub! ($5-$30) There are a bunch of these on the market, I've linked an amazon search so you can see some of the other choices.  I like this little robot that allows you to plug in in both arms and legs.

Motion Sensor Mini Lights ($18) from Solutions - These can be stuck anywhere and will go on when needed!  They've got great customer reviews too!  

Heart Rate Monitor / Pedometer  ($20 and up) - This is a great gadget for anyone who is hoping to get more active after the holidays and begin the new year with a fresh start!

Portable Speaker  ($24) from Uncommon Goods - perfect stuffing size!

Texting Gloves ($18) from Urband Outfitters - These are available for men at different sites as well, Google it!

Key Ring Tools  ($8) - Keep a Philips and flat head screw driver handy at all times!

A Leatherman multi-tool ($18-35) for the manliest of manicures!  

A Grab Bag of Treasures

Custom stamps from lilimandrill ($25 and up) on Etsy.  You can also find great custom address stampers with a quick Etsy search.

Pooping Reindeer ($7) from Paper Source - cute or ew?  Either way I betcha know someone who would get a kick out of it!  

Owl Timers ($21)  from Paper Source - I want one!  Gimmie!  

Matrushka Manicure Set ($11)  from Paper Source - More cute things to fill my handbag/diaperbag with.

Stackable engraved rings ($18) from cinnamonsticks on Etsy - Great price for such a sweet personal gift.

Mustache bottle toppers ($10) from Fab.com - why not?  

Knit Ear Warmer with Bow! ($20) from FredFlare - Be cute when you're cold!

"Keep Calm" Bandages ($8) from Urban Outfitters - After being on every stinkin' surface possible, this trendy phrase found a perfect, logical home!

Giant Gummy Bear on a Stick $10 from FredFlare - A necessary item in life 

Seasonal Tea ($15) from Papersource by The Repuplic of Tea - my favorite gourmet brand!

Vintage Bird Mug with lid ($13.95) from Paper Source - So many of us are suckers for birds (Portlandia anyone?) and this comes with a lid!  How handy, sorta...

Baby's First Christmas

Children's items differ depending on the age and this list is crazy long already.  So, I've just tackled a couple of things for baby's first stocking.  I will however, show you everything Scarlet is going to get in her stocking in another post or vlog soon! 

Fortune Cookie booties ($28) from Uncommon Goods - Okay these are a bit over priced but your first Christmas only comes around once, right?  And the fortune is too cute. These seem like they could be craftable too, so maybe make your own version! 

Sili Squeeze with Eeeze ($15) from The Silico - New improved design is great for home made purees, yogurts and smoothies!

Boo-Boo Bunnie ($8) - These little freezer friends make those bumps and bruises alllll better!  Scarlet has one and the tears stop as soon as the bunnie is in her hand.  They come in a variety of adorable colors and prints too! 

Monogrammed Unisex ID Bracelet from MinusOne on Etsy ($28) - I bought one of these from this seller for a friends daughter's first birthday.  She'll do any name up to 6 letters.  Makes a great keepsake! 

Sandra Boynton Box Set ($13) - A MUST for every child's library.  These books are fun quick stories that help your child delight in reading early!

And finally, a Mustache Pacifier from Fred Flare ($12) to be like daddy with his beer toppers :)

Hope that sparked some ideas!  What are your favorite stocking treats and traditions?

Happy Stuffing! 

***Disclaimer***

I have NOT purchased items from each of these links before.  Please only purchase from reputable vendors.  I have personally shopped at Paper Source, Urban Outfitters, MinusOne on Etsy and Amazon.