ramble shmamble

I took photos of an open house at a local dentist office today.  It was fun.  I'm sure I gained 5lbs from just smelling the yummy food and I'm sure I gained another 5 from eating the plate full of food I was sent home with.


Stella had her first soccer practice after school today and her first game is tomorrow morning.  She played a little in the goalie position.  I told her good job and she responded by saying, "I got my dad's blood in me I guess."  The girl is a crack up.


Jonah has his first soccer game tomorrow also, but they don't need practice apparently. :)


I used Jonah's bb-gun this morning and shot at the deer that has been eating my roses down to NOTHING.  I think I may have actually hit it because it jumped.  It didn't take off in a mad dash crying like I hoped, it just sauntered off like no big deal.  Whatever deer, I'm on to you.


Ava likes football.  Go Seahawks.  Stella asked me the other day, "mom, are you sure Ava is a girl?"  Ava wants to be like her big brother and likes to go around the house "bare belly."  I think while Jonah is away at school I'll start hauling out the tea sets and pretty dresses. :)  Oh and check out the size of Ava's foot in this picture!?!  Ha ha, it looks HUGE.  She really doesn't have an abnormally large foot; just the angle of the shot I guess.

I've finally started turning my funky junk into shabby treasure.  What color should I paint it?  Any suggestions??

I'm working on my website, or more like Sean's uncle is.  Bless his heart.  I'm excited to be able to reveal it to all of you.  Hopefully it comes out looking the way I have envisioned in my head. 

I'm finishing up editing photos from this cute family session.  I love this age.  They can't crawl or walk yet, so they have no choice but to sit and look cute.  These are a few that caught my eye.

  

xo

2 in school

I thought Ava was going to be looking like this, bored and maybe a little sad, with her buddy Jonah gone at school.  But that hasn't been the case...

Little miss, she's doing alright.  She seems to be managing juuuuust fine.  We come home after dropping off the older two and she tells me she wants to watch "her show, do do do do do Dora."  After Dora, she's busy with her babies, eating snacks, calling grandma... then, before you know it, it's time to go pick up brother.  And then the house gets noisy again.  Yep, I think Ava and I are both enjoying our quiet mornings together.  No complaints here.

jonah's big day

A Second grader and a Kindergartner

This face pretty much sums up his feelings about going to school.  He was a little lot bit nervous and unsure because, as he would tell me, "I've just never been to school before."  But after much encouragement and reminders about getting to go to recess, he was ready.

Let's keep in mind it was early.  Thanks.

We got to the classroom without a hitch.  He remembered where he was supposed to hang his back pack and coat.  I honestly didn't get sad until I came home and looked at this picture.  I don't know how it happened.  I don't know how my boy is now old enough to be in kindergarten.  Where does the time go?  The saying is true, the days are long but the years are short.  I love you, Jonah bear.  I'm so so so proud to be your mom.

He picked out his book and went to sit in the "garden" with the rest of his friends and that's when I left.

When I went to pick him up he came out smiling and running and told me he likes school.  I'm glad, but there will always be a part of me that wishes he would want to stay home with me forever.

After school we made our way to Grandma's.  What's better than to end your first day of school with a ride on your Harley?!

I think he had a great first day.

no glasses for him yet

At Jonah's 5 year check up they did the normal little eye exam they do each year, starting when they turn 3.  It's nothing extensive, just standing in a certain spot and covering one eye and then naming the shapes and letters they see on a little poster.  Well when he was looking with his left eye he wasn't getting too many of them correct.  He finally just took his hand down and said, "this eye just doesn't work really great."  So his doctor recommended he get his eyes checked.  That was back in February and just a couple days ago I finally made the appointment for him. 

Sean took him off-island to the doctor today.  Just Jonah and his dad.  It was a man trip to the eye doctor.  Jonah was just pumped he was going to the Donut House to get a donut before the appointment.  The boy loves donuts about as much as he loves his corn dogs.  Such a health nut. ;)  Anyway, the doctors visit was good.  He has a slight stigmatism in the one eye, but nothing that needed a prescription.   When he came home his eyes looked like this.  Creepy.  Check out the size of the pupil on your right?!  My little man cub.  He's growing up.

manual  1/50  f2.8  ISO 400  sooc

nervous and excited

Stella started school today.  2nd grade.  She told me she's nervous and excited.  I know she's going to do great, but man it makes my heart sad.  I miss her presence around the house whenever she's gone.  I can't wait to pick her up and hear all about her day.

Friday I'll be sending two of my children to school.  Jonah starts Kindergarten.   I think I'll be wearing sunglasses that morning.  Yep, I'm pretty sure I will be; rain or shine. :)

next year

I had good intentions of entering a photo in the fair this year.  I struggled with not knowing which one to enter.  I actually got a few different ones printed, but they didn't turn out as I planned so I said, "next year."

Well, I was reminded of the photo I wanted to enter by a friends comment I just got.  I don't know if it's blue ribbon material, but I'm thinkin' it's a good runner up.  What do you think?

Jonah now shoots with his eyes open.  In fact, just the other day he saw some deer outside and he took off to get his gun.  Then I see him running across the porch, with only one shoe on, holding the gun up ready to fire.  I think he may have actually took his shot mid-run.  The guy's an animal with that thing now!  He's come a long way ... still doesn't hit anything, but he at least looks like he knows what he's doing. :)

I love him.

our 2 days at the fair

I'm not sure why I combined these posts.  It's late, and apparently that's the way my brain is working tonight.   So if you've already commented, I love you for it.  If you comment again, I'll love you even more. :)   Here's a peek at our two days at the fair....

2 days of pure fun for the kids

According to Stella, "fair week is the best week of my life!" 

2 days of corndogs 

Jonah is getting after it in this picture.  He looooooooves corn dogs.

Ava likes them too.  The second day we went she said, "I want corn hot dogs for dinner."

Jonah really likes them.  It looks like here that he has a special way of eating them.  Awesome.

2 days of rides

Well, more like one day of looking at all the rides and deciding which one they would go on first the next day.  Then one day of riding on as many of the rides as their hearts desired from 12-5pm, thanks to the trusty pink bracelets.

Since the kids are getting older and wiser (we can't get away with just "one ride fair days" anymore), we decided we'd try the bracelets. 

We got our money's worth.  Even if they wanted to ride on the same ride over and over and over... again, it still was a good deal.

Hands down...or up, this was Jonah's "bestest" ride!  You may recall from my fair post  last year that this ride wasn't his favorite.  I'm happy he likes it now, it makes going to the fair a little more fun.

Tilt-a-Whirl was Stella's favorite.  She would close her eyes and lay her head to the side while the ride was going.  She looked like she was sleeping.  She later told me, "I closed my eyes so it would help me breathe through it."  :)  It was a little intense for her, but I'm glad she learned to breathe through it.

2 days of looking at the biggest pig I have ever seen!

These pictures don't come close to doing this pigs size justice.  It.was.HUGE!  Like so huge, when-it-sat-on-a-few-of-her-piglets-she-squished-them, huge.  Poor baby pigs.  You can see some in the far right-hand corner.  She had 13, but now there is only 10.

Crazy big pig.  Wow.

2 days of eating junk

Elephant ears are the reason I go to the fair. 

It was a fun 2 days.

Be My Baby. a stolen title.

One of my favorite photographers, Sheye Rosemeyer wrote a blog post back in march titled, Be My Baby. I love all her posts, but that one really hit home and pulled greatly at my heart strings; her pictures and her words... I get teary whenever I read it because I am so there and it's exactly how I feel.

I know I'm like a broken record when I keep on saying I don't want my children to grow up, but it's so true.  Sure, there's a part of me that looks forward to their different stages.  I do love watching them grow and learn new things, but if I could freeze time I would.  I would keep them younger longer.  I really really would.

My Ava is growing up, but today and tomorrow and the next day... I just want her to be my baby.

She'll tell you she likes pink cake and then ask "what kind you like?"

She calls toothpaste, pooftaste.

She's gone from calling herself "Wava" to "Eeeeva."

When she says Uncle Darrin it sounds like Uncle Dinner.

She still has a strong passion for gum and still runs everywhere she goes.

Without fail, Every.Single.Time. she talks to her dad on the phone she asks him if he'll make waffles. Every time.

She calls her grandma on the phone every day and when grandma asks her what she's doing she says, "just nothing."

If she likes what's for dinner she'll say, "mmm, tanks mom it's lishious (delicious)."

She likes to wear her swimsoup (swimsuit) all day around the house.

She still licks her sheets and will even lick your shirt when she's tired.  She'll say, "I go nigh nigh on your shirt."

She copies her big brother and can wrestle and do "kung fo" with the best of them.

She makes me laugh.  At times she makes me a little crazy.  I love her with all my heart.  I'm so thankful she's my baby.

All photos edited with Sheye Rosemeyer's eye candy actions.