Well happy Friday my dearest readers! Today I am once again pimping out “Fight the Frump Friday” over at Blissfully Domestic. Why? You ask. Because I WRITE it! So you know, shameless self-promotion. But today I have a real treat for you. Last night at a super-fun Mary Kay party I had at my BFF Luanne’s, I was trying to explain to my mom and the fabulous Katie the benefits of lip liner. Then I remembered – wait – I have a video where I did that! So, for your viewing pleasure, here is my take on how to apply your lipstick so that it lasts ALL DAY! Enjoy, and pop on over to Blissfully Domestic to see how others Fight the Frump as well!

Sammy is getting SO big… but, for the moment anyway, it’s not making me sad, because he is so much fun.

He’s 18 months old, and this has got to be the most fun stage he’s gone through yet. He didn’t walk until he was about 16 months, but you’d never know it now – he is everywhere, and he is fast. He’s starting to run, and it’s about the cutest thing ever.

The best part about this stage, though, is the way his verbal skills are developing. He says something new every day, and it’s great to be able to communicate with him. His favorite expression for about four months now is “I want,” and he uses it all the time! A little bit ago, he looked at me and said “I want Mama and Dada and Papa.” “You do?” I said to him. He nodded at me and said “And num num” (which is his word for food). Just this week he’s started to say Kate and also Sissy, in reference to her (which to be honest makes me cringe every time, but for whatever reason Kate always refers to herself that way around him, and he has picked it up).

He is also obsessed with shoes, and which shoes belong to whom. He likes to get shoes out of our closet for me and Andy in the morning, and yesterday morning he was walking around sporting my favorite pair of Crocs. Kate has her own opinion on why he has this obsession, though… last night Andy said “Sammy you love shoes,” and Kate said “Yeah that’s because he knows how to say shoes.” Apparently she thinks his interests are based solely on his limited vocabulary. She could be onto something.

This is my favorite, favorite thing that he says right now, though… a while ago I taught him a little trick – when I say “Whose are you?” I taught him to reply “Mama’s baby!” But that lasted for only a couple days, and now when I ask him that question, he’ll say “Dada’s baby!” Or “Papa’s baby!” or “Ball’s baby!” and he just cracks himself up! It’s so cute though, because if Andy asks him the same thing, he’ll say he’s “Mama’s baby!”… he definitely knows what answer we’re trying to get out of him, and he is so ornery that he says anything but that! It amazes me that he has such a sense of humor.

Anyway, I am having so much fun with him right now, and really I had forgotten what a fun stage this was… it seems like forever since Kate was 18 months old. I still miss the tiny baby he was, but I love the little person he’s becoming.