Project 365: Day 39

Juliet's bear she received from the Hy-Vee employees when she was born.  Her sisters insist she named the bear, "Eh".

I really love this picture.  I think the detail is really crisp, plus the colors are so warm it just makes me want to squeeze the cuddly bear.

Project 365: Day 20

"Laynie" and "Maya" having a nature picnic in the living room.  Was playing around with focal distances, probably would be cuter cropped a bit, but I am committed to the SOOC learning experience...

Project 365: Day 14

Three-for-one: Emme's new haircut.

Picture #1 I was sitting further away from her, and she was sidelit from the window.  Would have worked better if I had turned 45 degrees and put her in front of me.

Picture #2 Her face is better lit overall, but I should have used a slower shutter speed to lighten it up (was already at a 1.8 aperature).

Picture #3 Could also use a higher exposure, but overall I think the best lit, face-wise.

I really like her new cut.  She hasn't had bangs since she was two years old, and with the amount of hair she had then, you could hardly call it bangs.  She's the kind of girl that doesn't brush her hair or care if it is hanging all stringy in her face, so she should wear this style well!

Short blurb for posterity

Hannah wanted to go play outside, but she wanted to go further than I usually let her. Here's the convo that ensued:

Me: You must stay around our yard, nowhere else, got it?

H: in exasperation MOM. I have my bike and I've got my ninja skills. I'll be FINE.

Someone Should Warn Her

Really, someone should warn her that this could be hazardous to her health.

Hannah's Big Day

My big girl was so excited for this day. She took her preparations quite seriously, as well as the whole Sacrament. Sometimes this girl drives me crazy and we clash a lot. But when her behavior is troublesome to me, I at least can rest easy in the fact that she has quite the special relationship with God going on. Priorities, you know.

Max Attack

Poor, poor Chanel. She never saw it (him) coming. Pity.

His First Haircut

The time had come. Granted, he didn't have much hair to begin with; however, Mr. Max was cursed with the dreaded tail. Not one of those duck-tails popular circa 1991, which would have been easy enough just to snip off at the bottom, but a tail that began a quarter length down the back of his head and ended about three-quarters down.

I wish this picture did it justice, but bad lighting plus squirmy kid does not the greatest depiction make. Oh well, just believe me when I say it was a noticeably cute little quirk. Anyhoo, so the other evening as he sat on my lap I realized he had some sort of sticky goo caught in the tail. I tried to comb it out but I only succeeded in making him "owie" and angry.

But when I brought out the scissors he decided that was a great and novel way to spend the evening, especially considering the baby in the big silver wall was having the same thing done to him! What excitement! I know, right?

Emme graciously volunteered to catch all the wayward wispy strands to save in Ziploc posterity forever. I admit I was a little bit sad because 20 months is the earliest I've ever had to give a haircut, but that sticky gooey tail just had to go.

Can you tell a difference? Yeah, I can't really tell a difference either.

Emme vs. the Van, Episode Deux

Here we bring you the next installment in the continuing saga of Getting Emme to Get in the Vehicle and Buckle her Seatbelt:


M: Get in and buckle up because we are LATE.

M: Buckle up because we are LATE!

M: Buckle up!!!!!!!!!!!

E: Staring confusedly, as if I am speaking a foreign language.


Crickets can be heard chirping.


Even though it's March 31.


M: Buckle up! Do you want me to throttle you, girl?

E: Sigh. I don't even know what that word means, but I say no.

Crayola!

Originally posted at Homeschoolin' Mamas
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Love, love, LOVE this website. If you are a homeschooler, or even just a parent or someone who deals with kids, you will love it too!

Hannah's Screenplay

Originally posted at Homeschoolin' Mamas
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Translated by me, her mom.



Hannah: Hello Emme, what would [you like], a strawberry shake or a blueberry shake?

Emme: I'll take a blueberry shake.

Hannah: Ok.

I'm assuming some time has passed and some stage directions inadvertently got left off the screenplay.

Emme: I didn't order this.

Hannah: I'm so sorry.


www.kidshows.com

They want to produce their play and put it on this website. Just in case you wanted to know the motivation behind the project. I have no idea if this website even exists.



Emme: Waiter, I'm starved over here.

Hannah: I'm so sorry, my Lady.



Emme: I ordered a blueberry shake.

Hannah: We've always had...



The rest is supposed to say "people order strawberry shakes". However, the screenplay was abandoned creative midstream and has yet to be picked up again. That was about three months ago.


I think they get their short-lived enthusiasm from someone I know...

Ahem. My own faults aside, I am proud of their efforts (even if there are some crucial details missing) and am certainly looking forward to seeing Hannah's first Broadway screenplay. Of course.

...One Diabolical Fetus at a Time!

The other day I had this largish rant about something that ticks me off. I mentioned that the subject of such largish rant was in no way an announcement.

However, THIS little alien-looking bouncing dude does happen to be an announcement!

Although scientifically I guess I should call it my "diabolical embryo" since little dude won't be a fetus for another couple weeks. By the way, I had to include the little footnote at the bottom of that other entry because I couldn't very well tell the blogosphere before I told my own mother, yeah? Although a savvy enough reader could have deduced such a thing.

Bonus? I'm pretty sure no one is going to have a rude response for me after my little tirade. I can't say the same for poor hubs, though. Unfortunately the majority of the list of inappropriate responses have been directed at him by well-meaning colleagues, I'm sure.

Techno-Speak

Home-grown laptop created by resident five-year-old.

If Only You Could Bottle This Energy...

Originally posted at Home Schoolin' Mamas.
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Homeschool Physical Education:




And the fact that he had been dressed by his sister--who shall remain nameless--in a pink High School Musical nightgown just makes it all the more hilarious. That, and my inanely dorky snorting laugh in the background...

D-3 (Dad/Daughter Date)

Hannah's a true Daddy's Girl, always begging to spend time with him. Recently she earned the privilege of a Dad/Daughter Date, so Conrad took her to a new coffeeshop owned by friends of ours for hot chocolate and cookies. Afterward they trekked over to the used bookstore, where she picked out The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (which we already own), Pippi Longstocking (which she's already read multiple times), and Aliens For Breakfast (this one is neither owned by us nor has been read by any of us). It has been reported that a good time was had by all.

Dialogue: Mom and Em

M: Get in and buckle up because we are LATE.

E: I can't get in my booster seat.

M: Yes you can.

E: No I can't, my shoes are on it!

M: Then move your shoes. Come on, honey, use your brain.

E: But then I will waste all my thinking!

'Officially' Homeschoolers?

Originally posted at Home Schoolin' Mamas.
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Does this make us officially homeschoolers?

I think it does.



Hannah's first robot.
A cross between WALL-E and Mr. Krabs.

I'm now going to qualify 'official' as 'when your daughters receive an erector set for Christmas and it becomes their favorite present.

How You Can Tell He's a Reader For Life

Max loves books.

Before naptime and bedtime I read him a story.

He insists, without fail, on taking each book to bed with him.

If you were to look in on him during sleep,

This is how you would find him.

Cuddled up in his car bed,

Nose resting ever so slightly on the cover,

Fist still gripped securely around the binding.

Yeah, Max loves books.

Cousins!

I loved being with cousins growing up! Something happened and I got old and now it's my kids who love being with their cousins. When did that happen?

My brother and I used to joke about when we would have lots of kids and they would grow up playing together. I don't think we ever in a million years actually believed we would live an hour away from each other and have children in the same age group who would become best of friends (and worst of enemies some days, but you can't have it all!).

Privileges

Apology in advance for the poor quality photos. We really don't have the greatest lighting in our kitchen at 10 p.m.

If you exhibit any of these behaviors...




You may choose one of these privileges from the envelope...




And put it this jar.





Unsavory behaviors or attitudes will result in a privilege being ejected from the jar.
Wailing and gnashing of teeth to then commence.