I just got home from a mini-session and I think I have a new favorite location! So many different looks all in one little space. Perfect! Even better that I had such a cute model to work with, too! Here's just a couple of my favorites!
Thanks for sticking with me tonight Lauren and Julie....glad we made the right choice and the weather ultimately cooperated! Here is your big sneak peek. I must admit...I've already edited the entire gallery! I just couldn't resist and with the fun location, beautiful girl, and perfect light....well, it was frankly the easiest editing job I've ever had. Fun, fun.
Books are such a great thing. I love to read but approach them in fast or famine style. I'm definitely not a buyer of new books though...well, I'll buy travel or coffee table books but not novels or kids books. I'm a huge fan of libraries and book swaps and if I am going to buy books, it's likely going to be from a garage sale. Even more than I love to read, I love to watch my kids read. Anytime they select a book and sit down to spend time with it by choice, my heart warms. Silly but true. Emma has just started to do this. She carries about 6 books, one by one, over to a big chair ("seat"), drags herself up onto it, and will sit for a pretty long time flipping through her books. (sigh)
I realize that Corey is my least photographed kid. Not for any reason other than he's the least likely to tolerate me and he's generally off playing Wii or playing with our neighbor. The girls just seem to be more accessible and willing.
I made it a point to catch Corey today after Church School. They had Bible Bingo so he'd won some prizes and was happy to show me his new bracelets and whistle (and his friend's autograph). While he had a smile on his face I coaxed him over to the nearest stone wall and captured a quick shot. I can't get over how grown up he's getting. Although it was only about an hour later that he was crying like a baby so I guess we're in a transition phase.
My babe had a fever all yesterday and through the night. It broke this morning but Emma still wasn't herself today. She spent most of the day moaning and clinging to me. By the end of the day she was perking up so hopefully we're over the hump. I hate to see any of my kiddo's like this.
Lilly went to a birthday party today. Let me clarify that....she went to "the best birthday party ever" today. It was at Kid-Do's (a kid's hair salon) and she got her hair, nails, and make-up done. Sounds like a great day for any girl! It was quite surprising to see all the Red and Blue hair when I arrived to pick her up. :-) They all looked great and had a blast! Happy Birthday, Grace!!
Here's a REALLY QUICK little video I did of the few shots I got during cake eating and of Lilly afterwards. Enjoy!
I'm headed out to my photography seminar so just have a quick minute but wanted to share a couple pictures from today's outing to Gymboree. This time for Family Art. Emma is amazing. I swear she follows instruction better than some three year olds I've seen. She's just eating it up and, once again, it was great bonding time.
Rob is heading down to South Carolina tomorrow for 3 full days of sun, golf, friends, drinking and no kids. Yeah...I'm more than a bit jealous. He must be having a tinge of hubby guilt too since he came home early to replace my brake pads that have been making noise for a couple months now.
I'm grateful though. So grateful that I decided to make it my photo of the day. But then I went out to the garage to find something even better....Corey getting a lesson on tire removal, jacks, wrenches. He looked so cute with his little greasy hands.
Lucky me...a hubby who can fix my car AND take advantage of a teaching moment. Love that. Love him. A little less so because he'll be having a better weekend than me but still quite a bit. :-)
I brought my camera up to Lilly's room for her book time tonight. She cracks me up. She was SO worried at the beginning of the school year that she would never learn to read and she still claims that she doesn't know how. Meanwhile, she reads GREAT and I couldn't be more proud of her. Tonight she read her nightly "baggie book" to me but also a book she wrote today about Clare's birthday. It was very sweet. Oh...and aren't her PJ's great?? Grandma gave Clare and Lilly those for their birthdays....they're from Vietnam and beautiful!
Corey has been trading his book time for lego-time the past couple of evenings. He goes in phases with his interest in lego's but apparently he's "on" at the moment. He really wanted me to take picture too after he knew I'd been in taking Lilly's picture. And, of course, I was more than happy to oblige. Anytime, baby. Anytime!
Because of the little girls, I rarely get to spend time with any of the kids at school. I feel bad about it and wish I could be there more but it's just one of those things I've learned to accept.
Today both Clare and Lilly had their birthday celebrations at school so I ran around a bit crazy all day but managed to be there for each of their mini-parties. At Lilly's, I even managed to get the camera out.
There's no doubt about it...Kindergarten is awesome. Even better when you have the super-cool Mrs. Atilano as your teacher! And even better when it's your birthday...Lilly felt like a rock star!
My oldest daughter, Lilly, is turning 6 on Sunday. It'll be pretty low-key because of just getting back from Orlando. Earlier this week she decided that she wanted to celebrate her birthday by getting her ears pierced. She's thought about it before but always decided against it. This time she seemed really set on her decision.
We went today and she was so brave. Not without tears, but brave. Her tears only lasted about a minute though and then she walked around the store excited about all the earrings she'll get to wear one day. I was very proud of her. Not for getting her ears pierced, but for making a big girl decision all on her own and sticking to it.
She looks very sweet with her sparkly daisy earrings. Sweet and grown up. (sigh.)
It feels good to be home. Back to my wonderful bed. Back to my MAC and uploading "real"photos versus iPhone imitations. Back to my blog. Yes...it's good to be home.
I'll post a catch up of some vacation shots when I get time to breathe but for now a quick shot for today.
This is NOT the shot I had in mind but it was a hectic day and the significance is still there. The plan when we bought this house when I was pregnant with Emma was that Emma and Clare would share a room and I bought these cute banners for each of them in anticipation. In the early days, I decided life would be easier to keep Emma downstairs with us so our office became her bedroom. I've tried several times to shift her upstairs but never with any joy. It seems Emma likes her own space.
Our Florida vacation and 8 days away from the office/bedroom seemed like a good breaking point for that attachment so I've been putting her in her crib in the shared bedroom upstairs since. Sadly, my usually smiley girl looked like this when I went in to get her. I guess she's still adjusting.
This is how she always sleeps...one pacifier (aka "dummy") in her mouth and one in each hand. :-)
The last several days have been very hectic. I had big plans for today but things got turned upside down when I got called for an unexpected Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Session last night, then woke with a migraine that hasn't ceased and a puking daughter.
As I completed my checklist today, I passed this statue. It's part of a little series at the entrance to a subdivision near me (a very Shi-Shi neighborhood) and I've always liked it. It was one of the few thins that made me smile today so I stopped, turned around, and went back to take some quick pictures of it. And I tried to remember to smile while things are topsy turvy...just like this guy.
For all those people that say March is still winter....psshaww. I am LOVING this spring weather. Windows are open, kids are outside playing and Mommy is smiling....even after staying up way past her bedtime editing last night!!
Serious concentration going on here!
LOOK! She can pump!!
Playing with my new lens. Can't believe those leaves can survive a WI winter!
I think this guy had a rough winter. Nothing a little nose job won't fix...
I hope no one came to the Touch-A-Truck Portrait Charity event and thought they'd go home with a traditional snapshot of their little beauty standing in front of a big red truck. Yes, there were little beauties and there was a big red truck, but these shots are anything but the traditional snapshots and I LOVE THEM! This is quite possibly the most fun I've had as a photographer so far.
Want to see a video of the fun we had??
The truck has so many interesting parts to it and all make amazing backgrounds. The kids were so enamored with the whole event and it was filled with carefree smiles and just pure joy. Here are some of my favorites from the day... {I made them small because there's a lot, but click on any of them to get a better view.}
Well, what do you think? Isn't it cool??
THANK YOU to all of the participants! You helped us raise $880 for Noah's Never Ending Rainbow!!!! An awesome day for an awesome cause!
