she spilled the milk again

We love dogs

2011-11-09T08:45:00.002-05:00

Last weekend I photographed this lovely family and their beloved pups. I just love when humans really connect to their pets, and the older of these two dogs was so obviously smitten with her family it just made my heart melt.

Boo! Eek!

2011-11-08T17:27:00.006-05:00

I think Halloween is a fantastic holiday. Not really so uber religious allowing everyone the opportunity to participate, and there are silly costumes and free stuff! Nice!

This year the kids picked their own costumes, with no help from me. They did pretty well I must admit, even though Little Man ended up being Boy Mario instead of regular Mario because the moustache was not up phis alley. I don't blame him, I don't prefer facial hair either.

The first house we went to was that of our most favorite neighbor, Miss Ruth. She had kindly set p a mirror so the kids could check themselves out in their costumes - what a great idea! After that we trekked up and down the hills and driveways. It took about an hour to get to 5 houses. Oy these hills! We picked up Mister and went to the "Halloween House" - a totally decked out place that has about fifty blow up decorations for every holiday. The owner was very sweet - she had even dressed up her schnauzers in tutus for the occasion. After that we went to our regular haunt across the street where the houses are close together, the roads are flat and sidewalks abound. We only had one little hiccup in our night when G tripped on her angel dress and scraped up her nose on the cement. No pain, no gain, baby!

Fall is here, ring the bell

2011-08-23T17:49:00.008-04:00

Back to School
Show and tell...

Well, I now have two little people in elementary school. Wild. Little Guy was lucky enough to get the same teacher that G had in Kindergarten, a gem of a lady, one of those special teachers that you will remember for a lifetime. He has the same TA, too, who used to carry Little L around in my sling for me on field trips when Little L was just a wee baby. It is nice having him go into a familiar classroom. He was a bit nervous about going to the big school , but put on a brave face and quietly crept on in. G still walks him to class, and will continue to do so until he is comfortable enough to wade through the 1000+ students there himself. She is SUCH a good big sister.

Little L started nursery school this week, also. She was a bit nervous once we got there, but has been looking forward to wearing her backpack and playing with her little friends all summer.

I am looking forward to a great school year, but am still sad about summer ending. I love the freedom of summertime.

This place is a zoo!

2011-08-02T14:40:00.003-04:00

Last month, my good friend Jenny was kind enough to take me and my tribe along with her to Zoo Atlanta. LIttle L had never been to the zoo and I knew she would love it since she has a managerie of snall plastic animals that she likes to play with. Little Guy hadn't been to the zoo since he was a little over a year old, so it was new for him, too. We are so lucky to have mating panda bears here in Atlanta! The kids got to see the latest panda cub and her mama - so adorable! The other favorites of the day were the giraffes and the bush dogs - though Jenny and I are skeptical on whether the bush dog is actually just a cross between a coyote and a terrier.

Two seconds to tribal.

2011-06-04T11:11:00.005-04:00

Little L loves to draw and paint and cut and color. She has a penchant for markers rather than crayons since they are more vibrant and can be used to write on practically anything, includeing herself. Give the girl a marker and she will decorate herself in three seconds flat - give the girl some paint and she is up to her elbows before you have even set out any paper.

Yesterday, she and her siblings painted the entire kitchen table with fingerpaints... I am still wiping off the remnants of their creativity. When I asked what happened, Little L proudly told me that she painted her arms, elbows, hands, legs, knees and belly... I asked if she painted her nose, and she giggled and scrunched it up and me saying "nooooo, not my nose!" How silly of me.

A note about these pictures - I was in the basement working in the office and when I came upstairs I found Little L like this - pouting. When she realized she wasn't going to get in trouble (I grabbed my camera instead) she decided her new look was the perfect disguise for "Superbaby" and thus began launching herself off of the ottoman on to the Fat Boy beanbag chair crying "Superbaby!" for about an hour.

"Will you please let me go?"

2011-05-21T18:24:00.005-04:00

he squealed between peals of laughter. "Darn your good manners, I guess I'll have to" Mister replied, releasing him from the leg lock he had him in while the tickle fight ensued. "Thanks!" Little Guy replied jumping down from our bed and running off to get ready for his Pre-K graduation.

Will you please let me go? - the words echoed in my heart.

He was just a Little Guy when I started this blog, and now he is going off to ride on the big yellow bus with all the Big Guys. Soon he will be just one of a thousand kids in his school, making his way through the unsteady waters of the social stream, navigating his classmates and school work as he will continue to do for the next 20 years or so.

And at some point I really will have to let him go... hopefully when that day comes he'll still remember to place his request using his good manners.

A Biologist's Mother's Day Song

2011-05-09T10:57:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!!

T-Bear

2011-04-25T12:47:00.001-04:00

Oh how I adore you, lovely boy. It was wonderful to see you again. Safe travels, love!!

Neapolitan Excursion - James F.

2011-03-21T10:01:00.007-04:00

I met this lovely couple and their little boy early one morning by the Naples Pier. One year olds are always a bit unpredictible, but tired little James ended up doing pretty well... and his parents were great, too. There is something magical about women who are expecting - and this mom really glowed. Thanks for giving me such a beautiful start to my day!

Neapolitan Excursion - The Taylors

2011-03-14T11:18:00.007-04:00

This was such a fun shoot in downtown Naples. All of the snowbirds were stopping in their tracks to admire these adorable children, and I must concur - simply gorgeous.

Sun-drenched

2011-03-13T19:08:00.004-04:00

Little dude, I have known you since before you were born and I am amazed at what an intelligent and funny young man you have turned into... Your freckles and impish grin just melt my heart. Thank you for giving me such a wonderful session - I look forward to many, many more.

Neapolitan Excursion!!! Feb 25-27

2011-02-11T17:24:00.003-05:00

Book your session now for when we make the trip to Naples at the end of the month.

Only two spots left!

I'm just people watching...

2011-02-11T17:22:00.001-05:00

...watching people watching me.

You know that the kid is mine...

2011-02-04T19:49:00.003-05:00

When you are out on a Tuesday morning at the nexus of every stay at home mom's universe (SuperTarget) and you hear a sharp squeal accompanied by a pitter-pat, pitter-pat, clomp, clomp, then you turn to see a wiry little guy wearing a pair of sweatpants with a button-up oxford shirt and cowboy boots being chased by a smaller version of himself - barefoot - in a fancy silk dress with legwarmers, kept warm by her bear-hooded jacket and disguised by a red superhero mask, crazily waving a bag of organic cheese puffs, you know those kids are mine. So sorry for the commotion.

For My Mom - Sail away to where the Wild Things roam...

2011-01-24T18:26:00.003-05:00

Incognito

2011-01-23T17:28:00.002-05:00

Nope, I ain't seen no baby 'round these here parts.

For My Mom - a princess & a pea

2011-01-23T16:23:00.002-05:00

Here you go, Nana. xxoo

Lovers at Twilight

2011-01-22T19:54:00.002-05:00

Cliff & Blair told me that they had a grand total of ZERO pictures of them together as the sun was about to make its mightly journey, so I ran (ok drove) back to the hotel, grabbed my camera raced (ok, drove carefully) back to the house were they were staying and made a few pictures in the last 5 minutes of the twilight. (For real... it was completely dark when we were finished) At least now they have something to put in a frame if they choose to.

Who is John Galt again?

2011-01-14T21:12:00.002-05:00

Mister: Whatchya reading?
Me: Atlas Shrugged.
Mister: Really?
Me: Yeah.
Mister: Why?
Me: Because smart people are are always referring to it and I thought I should finally read it so I can pretend I understand what they are talking about.
Mister: You know it's like a thousand pages, right?

This may take a while.

One Little Man...

2011-01-11T14:27:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the world, Little Man. You were a dream to work with on Sunday. You are one of the sweetest little babies that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. You are one lucky guy to have the lovely mama that you do... Welcome to the world! I hope you like it here!

On the Sixth Night of Hanukkah...

2010-12-07T12:34:00.005-05:00

I made our card :)

Happy Hanukkah!!

2010-12-02T10:14:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-29T20:11:00.002-04:00

Get it, the dog's costume is a ghost, hence she is opaque?

Indian Summer

2010-10-17T18:07:00.006-04:00

Every year in October, the weather turns chilly and I get excited for the beginning of autumn. I relish the crisp mornings with a steaming cup of coffee in my hand and the beautiful colors of the leaves on the trees as I drive down the streets of my town. I take a weekend to pull out all of the winter clothes that I packed away in the spring and sort through them to see what is still going to fit this year and what we should pass on to our friends whose children are coming up behind us.

Invariably, as soon as I am finished with the sorting and the stocking and the washing and the putting away, the weather turns warm again for a week or so. Shorts and T-shirts, sleeveless dresses and sandals, where did I store those again? So back into the closet I go to find something for the kids to wear during this Indian Summer.

Last week was our last week of warm weather and I had a chance to photograph Little L in a very special outfit that was given to us by our dear friend the Herbalist. This is a vintage pinafore set from the 1940's that was salvaged from a home remodel. It has a little scene embroidered on it in black and white of a kitten and some yarn. I found this toadstool in Hobby Lobby and had to have it because I had pictured this scene months ago and I am so happy I was able to capture it before it was too late. Thank you, Indian Summer.

Baby got Boots

2010-09-28T17:38:00.004-04:00

What is it about babies that they always are drawn to over sized boots? Elle keeps stealing G's and clomping 'round the house until she invariably trips and bonks that precious noggin on the floor. Silly monster.

Bestill me heart

2010-09-12T13:25:00.001-04:00

Little L, G and Little guy are watching home videos from when Little guy was a baby. Every time baby Little Guy says, "bye!" Little L responds with a wave and a smile "Bye, Bye!" Oh, they are so sweet!!

Better late...

2010-08-11T16:31:00.003-04:00

Than never. This lovely lady was pregnant with her 6th child when I took this picture, and she was gracious enough to schlep all of her other 5 kids out wither her so I could work with them during a portfolio building session. When I got home I looked at all the amazing images and was so excited to get to work on them, certain that they were going to be stunning... Later, when I sat down to edit them, I realized that I had somehow accidentally deleted 98% of the files. I was so embarrassed and sad about the situation I could hardly stand it. I learned that I must immediately buy a stand alone memory drive and set it to automatically back up all of my files nightly, which I did.

I haven't had another instance of lost files int he two years since, but did finally edit some of the 2% that were left from this session. What a lovely mama - can you believe this was baby #6??

Juicy...

2010-08-03T17:06:00.005-04:00

I can't believe this one is five months old already!! Gorgeous little man.

Bad to the bone...

2010-08-03T16:45:00.002-04:00

When I was nine I had a best friend named Tanya. She was a smart girl, very friendly and funny, and she had brain cancer. She underwent chemotherapy and bone marrow transfers and almost survived - but didn't. So, when my kids were born, I did my best to get their cord blood donated so the stem cells could be used to help sick kids. And then, when I was in DC for a memorial for C.O.P.S. after my brother died a few years back and there was a National Marrow Donor Program truck outside the memorial area, I made sure to give them a swipe of spit and my contact info so that in the unlikely event I was a match for some sick kid, they could find me.

That was three years ago - today I got the e-mail that I might be a match. At first, I hesitated, knowing that marrow donation is painful and that I have a needle phobia. When I was in the hospital a few months ago for a migraine and they had to do a spinal tap to rule out a brain hemorrhage, I was all but hysterical.

Then I thought about the person who might need my marrow - how they are being stuck with way worse than just one needle, and how they could die - really die- without a transplant. So I bit the bullet and called the NMDP response line... now we wait.

Be the match.

Whoosh!

2010-07-29T06:41:00.003-04:00

Last night I was laying down with Little L next to me, watching Top Chef and playing with her toes while she slept. I remember when I could fit both of her feet in the palm of my hand with room to spare, and now just one of them is almost too big to hold... her bitty little toes used to grip anything that they touched, and now they just stay relaxed when I play piggies with the chubby little buggers. I remember when Little Guy's found his toes for the first time, he was so surprised to find out they existed. And that made me remember when G was born, and how we used to have to take her in to get her labs done and they pricked her teensy newborn heel every day to check her biliruben levels because she was so jaundiced from being Coombs positive. I couldn't bear to go in with her when they were pricking her little heel, I just sat outside the room and cried until they gave that baby back to me, and then I clutched her to me for a long time before getting her settled back in her car seat for the trip back home. That was horrible.

One time, when G was about 6 weeks old, we were in the elevator at the pediatrician's office building. A lady got in with us and asked how old she was... after I told her that G was coming up on six weeks, and she told me, "Oh honey, it gets better." I remember thinking, but how could it get any better than this? I was tired, sure, but oh so happy. Now, almost seven years and three kids later, I still think that. It can't get any better than this. I just wish the days didn't go by so fast so I could appreciate it more.

If you come to my house enough...

2010-07-21T19:38:00.007-04:00

I will shoot you. G's BFF stayed over last night, so of course I had to have her pose for some portraits. We grow them gorgeous here in the south, that's for sure.

Life's a beach!

2010-07-18T18:38:00.004-04:00

I again had the pleasure of photographing Miss Marissa and her family while I was down in Naples last month. It was so much fun to see the kids again and see how much they have grown and changed since last year... they are an adorable and spirited bunch, for sure!

Everybody Loves Henry - Life unedited

2010-06-03T04:00:00.002-04:00

Impromptu playdate at our house the other day with the neighbor boys... such sweet kids. All of my children just adore those two boys, the little two love the older one especially since he is so kind and patient with even the littlest of playmates.

Fly, baby, fly!

2010-05-16T17:05:00.004-04:00

Miss A, your gallery is up! It was lovely to spend time with you, precious one!

Wiiid out

2010-05-16T17:01:00.002-04:00

BFF's hubby - He told Little Guy to go to bed. Little Guy said, Ok! This is what we found when we got back from girls' night out....

Spring is in full swing!

2010-05-16T15:51:00.004-04:00

Spring is moving right along here in Georgia. ~~We have planted our garden~~ Mister has been slaving away outside and so far we have tomatoes, squash, broccoli, pepper plants, beans, blue berries, roses, basil, mint, parsley (the curly kind) and one lone corn stalk growing. Some critter keeps eating my chive plant, which is a real bummer since it is the herb I was looking forward to using the most. Happily I have a secondary chive plant in the house, but it is one of those stringly seedy ones, not the common organic blossomy ones that I love the best. Oh well.

I have been taking field trips with Little Guy during the week, while G is still in school.. I cannot believe she will be finished with 1st grade next Friday! Wow, that was quick! This summer I am going to try to get them both down to the Botanical gardens and the zoo a few times, and maybe a day trip somewhere fun, like the Cabbage Patch Baby nursery in Cleveland.

This weekend both of the older kids had their gymnastics performances - or just "nastics" as Little Guy calls it. Mister tries to correct him, but I think the mispronunciation is too cute to change. They both did really well, even though Little Guy was a bit apprehensive at first. G qualified to move up to intermediate level next year if she chooses to stick with it. She did really well on her vault and floor exercise today - I was thoroughly impressed. Little Guy was just happy to have gotten a medal (for participation of course)

Little L is running all around these days and she knows 4 words - Mama, Dada, Rye-Day-uh, (right there!), and HEY! She uses these creatively - anything she wants is a Mama. If there is something she sees that interests her, she points to it and says "Rye-Day-uh!" until you tell her what it is and give her a narrative of what it is doing (Yes, that is a dog! See how it is sitting there, shedding all over the carpet? Good dog!) Dada is only for her father, and HEY! is an outburst of indigence (You put her down to wash they dishes and she smacks your leg yelling HEY! You try to put her in her carseat and she protests, screaming HEY! Hey! HEY! She wants to show you something and you aren't looking at her, she hollers HEYYAH!) She's kind of a loud one.

The violets are coming up these days - they are my favorite kind of ground cover, so pretty and so easy to grow. I remember when I was a little baby my sisters used to sing me a song about violets..

sweet violets,
sweeter than all the roses,
covered all over from head to toe,
covered all over in sweet violets.

Ahhh, spring.

Mister Man you are ready

2010-05-05T21:19:00.001-04:00

Lucky charm, your gallery is up!

Spring Break - life unedited

2010-04-15T15:09:00.006-04:00

Last week we headed down to Florida to visit friends and family once again. It was a great trip and this time Little L actually stayed awake at the beach... The drive home was fairly miserable with the older two fighting like cats and dogs, but after two quick (ha!) stops in Tampa and Gainesville, they finally settled down for the ride home. The entire trip back took 14 hours. Ugh.

If you ever take a Florida trip and are lucky enough to stay near the beach, the nicest time to go is 5 pm.... the sun isn't so bright, the wind isn't so windy, and you don't have to schlep a bunch of junk with you like coolers and sunshades - a couple of towels and a bag o' sand toys and you are good to go!

Lucky Charm

2010-04-02T22:43:00.002-04:00

Hello little baby of Saint Patrick's - may your life be filled with laughter and love and may fortune always surround you.

tashi delek

2010-04-02T21:30:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the world darling little man. It was such a privilege to meet you! I wish only the best for you and your mama and papa... such beautiful souls all three.

1 down, 19 to go!

2010-03-23T02:56:00.004-04:00

G lost her very first tooth on Saturday - considering the cavities she has it is surprising it took her this long to lose one ;). Her permanent tooth grew in behind the baby tooth, so when Mister pulled the baby tooth out with pliers (no, I was not home at the time) she already had a replacement one set up. Smart girl!

Same expression, different species

2010-03-23T02:52:00.004-04:00

They just LOVE it when I take their pictures.

Rockin' the Suburbs

2010-03-15T11:09:00.002-04:00

Last night Mister and I went out on a date for the first time since Little L was born - and what a date it was. Our kind neighbors volunteered to sit for us (they are heavenly those Kaufmans) and we trekked down to the Tabernacle to listen to the acoustic stylings of the one, the only Ben Folds (and a piano).

It takes a special kind of talent to entertain thousands of people solely with your voice, your personality and a piano, and Ben is one talented man. He played through a whole catalog of his songs, from the time he was in Ben Folds Five, to some unreleased tracks on his upcoming album (Levi Johnston's Blues, anyone?), to a ditty he crafted on the spot melding Free Bird with Sweet Home Alabama and eventually turning it into a ditty about his experience in Atlanta, including a trip to the container store and L5P. I really didn't want the show to end, and it seems, neither did anyone else.

He came back for an encore and played the one song that the crowd had been begging for- why they were begging for this song, I don't really know because although it is quite kitchy to turn a rap song into a piano ballad, it really isn't his best. But, he play B*tches ain't Sh*t anyway, and left partway through the song after coaching the audience to keep repeating a part of the chorus in unison until he came back. Happily he did return, otherwise I am certain that some of the audience member would still be there this morning, still singing the same refrain, just waiting.

During the concert, there was a woman in front of me trying to take pictures of Ben with her wee point and shoot camera. Now, seeing as we were sitting in the attic, there was no way her flash was going to reach Ben, so setting her camera to Auto was a really bad move. She then switched it to night portrait mode, which is even worse for a concert setting, unless you are trying to take a picture of your fellow concert goers. I tried to tell her that her pictures would be better if she turned off the automatic flash, but I think I spooked her... she tried to figure out how to do that and then gave up, choosing to finish taking pictures on Auto somewhere else. I so badly wanted to snatch that camera out of her hand, set the settings for her properly, and give it back, so she would be able to get some great shots, but that would have really freaked her out I think, so I am going to tell you all what to try in a concert/theater situation instead.

First, set your camera to portrait mode, then bump your ISO to as high as you can - 800 will probably be good, if you have a newer camera try 1600. Then, turn of your auto flash. Then, if you are up for it, set your Aperture to as low as you can get it - if you aren't up for it, don't sweat it. If doesn't that do it for you, and the shots are blurry because the people on stage are moving to fast, try action/sport mode with a high ISO and with the auto flash turned off.

Lullabies and Mudpies - life unedited

2010-03-12T17:58:00.005-05:00

Today was a gray and rainy day. G had off from school for a teacher work day so I shlepped all the kids down do the aquarium for a day of fish gazing. The belugas are back, finally, after a several month long vacation while some construction went on - the kids and I were so happy to see them again. Little L really loved pointing to all the fish this time, she is really becoming more aware of her environment.

When we got home, the downpour had slowed to a drizzle and Little Guy decided to dig in the mud outside. You can tell we are in Georgia from the lovely orange color of the mud.

A few days ago I decided from now on I am going to put fancy dresses on Little L whenever I feel like it. We have no one to hand them down to, so why not let her be fancy on any random Tuesday? I took these shots of her while we were playing outside the other day after G came home from school... she's getting so toddlerish these days.

Squirrel!

2010-03-07T21:16:00.004-05:00

The 82nd Academy Awards are on tonight, and I have had such a hard time planning the menu. Last year, Slumdog Millionaire made it easy - this year I just couldn't come up with anything until I heard a story on NPR this morning about the nominees for best original score. The movie UP's score was nominated, and it took me to a place of 1950's black and white television and TV dinners. So, our menu was home steak, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans and chocolate pudding.

UP was my favorite movie last year... granted I did not see The Blind Side, but I doubt that it would have pulled at my heartstrings the way UP did in the first 10 minutes. UP was a wonderful movie - the best animated movie I have seen since Nemo, and if you haven't seen it yet, you really should... even if you don't have kids to watch it with you. If you don't, you will definitely end up in the cone of shame.

Everyday Snaps

2010-03-01T19:42:00.004-05:00

Hi there

I've not been blogging much lately - instead I've been watching the Olympics and hanging out with the kids. They are growing up so quickly, it really boggles my mind. Little L is now running around the house and has just learned to come back down the stairs after climbing them on her own Little Guy is now writing his name and creating works of art that look a bit like Japanese anime, and G is full swing into Girl Scout cookie time and has added at least 300 calories per day to our diet with those hard to resist Thin Mints of hers. Mister weatherstripped all the doors and windows last weekend, after effort to utilize the fireplace for warmth ended up with the entire house smelling like a campfire.

Here are a few snapshots I took today of the two littlest ones and our poor dog. It is supposed to snow again tomorrow - stay warm!

Vancouver 2010

2010-02-13T11:47:00.006-05:00

The Winter Olympics are here! The opening ceremonies were last night, and as is our tradition, we had a dinner of local Vancouverian dishes - almond crusted salmon, brussel sprouts with bacon, and roasted garlic and potato soup. This morning I made a goat cheese and asparagus omelette, and tonight we are having braised short ribs with mushroom & cream gnocchi and nanaimo bars. I got all of the recipes from this site: Edible British Columbia and made alterations based on what I could find (Almonds instead of pistachios, turkey bacon instead of pancetta)

The Olympics began on a sad note, with the death of a luger during a practice run. Many of the athletes wore armbands in recognition of the loss at the opening ceremonies.

One of the reasons I love to watch the ceremonies because I like to see the athletes' outfits... every country has such different styles and it is so fun to see. This year there was a pants war... Bermuda tried with their traditional Bermuda shorts and dark knee socks (so THAT'S where the German tourists got it from!),

the Czech Republic made a valiant attempt with some pants that made you feel like you needed 3D glasses to see them,

but the country that dominated the pants was was Azerbaijan... check out that paisley! Love it!

Some other highlights... when Bryan Adams forgot to put the mic up to his mouth when he was "singing" a duet with Nellie Furtado.. the amazing whales "swimming" across the floor, the fab spoken word artist and, of course, the lighting the Olympic cauldron. I also really enjoyed KD Lang singing Hallelujah... I heard the Canadian Tenors sing it with Celine Dion on Oprah last week and it has been stuck in my head ever since!

Daddy, will you cover me up?

2010-02-09T22:05:00.003-05:00

I wonder how much longer he will want us to tuck him in. He's four now, and growing up so fast. He still likes to cuddle, though, and still has trouble sharing with the baby at times, but every now and then I catch a glimpse of the boy he is becoming. He has a kind heart.

Milk-a-What?

2010-02-08T16:02:00.002-05:00

My favorite Superbowl Commercial this year. Had to watch it 3x and laughed out loud each time.

Another one I liked:

Motorin'

2010-02-06T14:46:00.004-05:00

Little L loves to take this blue stool and run around the house with it. She's gotten so good at walking that she doesn't need the stool anymore, but still uses it to go supa-fast.

Mom's Zucchini Bread.

2010-02-06T14:38:00.006-05:00

You MUST click to enlarge this one.

Yep, you'll never believe there's zucchini in it.

Theme Night: It's the Grammy's!

2010-01-31T16:58:00.003-05:00

Every so often we do a dinner that has a theme behind it ... the Oscars, The Olympics (Bi-Annually), Chinese New Year, and always THE GRAMMY'S!

Now I love music, not playing it, mind you, nor singing it (though I fancy myself once heck of a singer my kids tell me that is definitely NOT the case) and the Grammy awards are always an event to be celebrated in our house. On our menu tonight, to honor some of our favorites from this year we have:

Louisana Gumbo with a shot o' whisky (Dave Matthews Band, Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King)

Southern Style Black Eyed Peas (Black Eyed Peas, The E.N.D.)

Onion Rings (Beyonce, Single Ladies (Put a RING on it))

Balsamic Glazed Baby Carrots (MGMT, Kids)

Popcorn (Black Eyed Peas, Boom Boom Pow - which is what happens when I make popcorn)

Champagne (Michael Bubbly - oops I mean Buble)

Creme Brulee (Katy Perry, Hot and Cold)

The countdown has started! I'd better get to cookin'!

Hey Junebug

2010-01-17T23:23:00.000-05:00

Glad to meet you over the holidays. You are especially squishable, lovely baby. Hoping your mama's interviews are going well~~~

Slow Down!

2010-01-17T22:31:00.002-05:00

She'll be one soon. She is taking little baby steps when she thinks no one is looking. She applauds herself when she makes it more than three in a row. She applauds me sometimes when I change her diaper... it is nice to be appreciated. She lunges at her brother and sister when they get close enough to give them great big sqeeeezy hugs. She loves to push this little blue IKEA stool around the house as fast as she can, chasing me, the dog, her dad...anyone. She usually gets stuck in the laundry room, though, those inward shutting doors are tough to navigate. Her favorite toy is her Glow Worm that auntie got her for Christmas... she hugs it and pats it on the back like a real baby. She still sleeps with us, always touching. Sometimes she still climbs up on my chest and presses her little face in mine while she sleeps. It is sweet, but makes it hard to breathe. Today, she learned to bite. It is flying by in the blink of an eye.

Sleepovers

2010-01-16T21:48:00.005-05:00

G has been sleeping over at her friends' houses since she was 3. The first time she was a bit nervous, but she still stayed the entire night. She loves going over to her friends' houses, but what she loves even more is having her friends come over to HER house.

Today she cleaned for two hours, making sure her bedroom was perfect and the basement playroom was picked up in preparation for her BFF to come stay the night. She has stayed over at her BFF's house 3 times now or so, and so now it was her turn. I took the girls out to a movie (just us girls, no baby, no Little Guy) that they chose - The Fabulous Mister Fox. I bought them each a kid popcorn, soda and candy pack (a special treat for G). After the movie, we went to Trader Joe's to pick out food for dinner and to search for the hidden chicken. Much to their delight the girls found the chicken hidden among the dog food and were able to get treats from the treasure chest.

We came back home and I fixed them the apples and macaroni and cheese that they had chosen for dinner. They ran upstairs and got in their PJs, then played on the Wii and in Little Guy's Bilibo toy, and just generally ran amok until 8:30 when it was time to retire.

I pulled out the sleeping bags and moved Little Guy to the guest room so the girls could have some privacy. I got everyone water and tucked them in... BFF decided to sleep in G's bed instead of camping out, so G went to sleep on Little Guy's bed - something she would NEVER consider doing for anyone else.
A few minutes later G came downstairs asking if BFF could use the phone to call her dad. I said "Of Course" and it wasn't until G came downstairs bawling that I realized the call placed wasn't simply a goodnight call. BFF wanted to go home.

G was devastated. This is the 2nd time a friend has bailed on her at bedtime. Always at bedtime. Time for bed! I want to go home. Ugh. G's feelings were so hurt - Why doesn't anyone want to stay with me? she cried Why won't they stay?

I almost started crying with her... that feeling of rejection is painful no matter what age you are - but at six you can't even begin step out of yourself to see the other side of the story. Maybe BFF really did have a headache. Maybe she was just scared. Maybe she really wasn't having fun (though it seemed like she was)... I don't know.

I remember being a kid and I never skipped out on a sleepover - except that one time when I ended up with a raging fever at 2 am. I was eight. G is just like me in that respect - too afraid of hurting the host's feelings to leave, even if she wanted to.

So I just don't get it - and worse - I don't know WHAT to tell G to make her feel better... except we can try again another time... another time that will be filled with the fear of another bailout.

holiday card photos

2010-01-12T19:12:00.003-05:00

these were on our card this year. there are also a few that were holiday card rejects... just because I couldn't fit everything in and make it look the way I wanted it to this time.

Mondays

2010-01-07T00:30:00.004-05:00

On Monday I drove G to school - the first day back from winter break and Mister (her usual chauffeur) had overslept, so I put on my robe, hopped in the car and drove her to school. When we got there, the place was kinda... dead. I walked her in to the front office thinking we were late - but it turns out there was no school that day. I know this because the principal told us to go home and go back to bed. We were a day early. Ugh.

Whale Sharks

2010-01-07T00:28:00.002-05:00

G says "Why do Whale sharks swim in salt water? - Because pepper water would make them sneeze!"

resolutions

2010-01-07T00:26:00.002-05:00

this year I resolve to:

1. Learn some family recipes by heart.
2. Tie up loose ends and finish some half completed projects that are languishing around me.
3. Drink more water.

Best of 2009

2010-01-05T14:14:00.005-05:00

Every year I keep a "Best of..." list on the side of the refrigerator so I don't forget the things that really strike my fancy. I started this in 2005 with the intention of making a box of best ofs for each of my relatives, but when I started adding mp3 players and companies and the names of children and babysitters to the list, I realized that this would be quite impossible. So, I will share the top 15 of my 2009 list with you virtually instead :)

1. Little L - my precious baby.
2. Hamilton Beach Brew station Coffee maker - Mister and my mom both got me coffee makers this year - hers was the thermal carafe maker that I asked for explicitly and his was the brew station, where it brews a vat of coffee, keeps it warm without burning it from the bottom like regular coffee makers do, then dispenses it a cup at a time like a soda machine does. Ah technology.
3. Cellular Blinds - so I traded the brew station form my mom in for some cellular blinds. I repainted the dining room and now it is a nice, neutral white and picked up these cordless, insulating, soft light-creating wonders from Target. These are a must for anyone with single pane windows and/or small children.
4. Indestructibles books for babies - these books are chew proof, tear proof, machine washable and actually feel like real paper. Quite amazing...
5. Goldenseal, Echinacea and Schizandra extracts & Elderberry Syrup - saved us from the Swine Flu. Seriously.
6. Pampers Sensitive Newborn Swaddlers with the indicator stripe - When my babies were newborns - I am talking the first week to 10 days - there were often worries about how often they peed, since urination and defecation are signs of working internal systems. With G we had to put bits of tissue paper in her diaper to see if she was wetting since the diapers were so absorbent we couldn't always tell. With Little L they had these awesome diapers at the hospital which had a yellow stripe on the outside of the dipe that turned green when the baby hat wet. They were AWESOME - one less thing to worry about. They are available now at your local big box store - under the title of Pampers Sensitive Newborn Swaddlers.
7. Bolthouse Farms Yogurt salad dressings - I am always on the lookout for healthier salad dressing options, and these are the very best yet.
8. The Georgia Aquarium - we became members this year and have been to the "fish museum" at least five times since April.
9. The Entertainment Book - previously a skeptic of this product, in 2009 I went ahead and got one on clearance for $10 in June. Throughout the summer and fall we embarked on many excursions we wouldn't have considered otherwise - like ice skating in July. This year there is a coupon for 30% off Aquarium memberships - a deal we will be using when ours expire.
10. Yellow Pear Tomatoes - these yellow darlings grew in our "garden" last summer. ... I have no idea where the seeds came from since I had never seen this type of tomato before, but they sure were delicious!
11. Bookswim - after racking up enough late fees at the library to but at least 20 books, I found this Netflix-style book rental company. I am currently reading 3 books a month or so - way less than my maximum reading capability, but way more than before since it saves a trip to the library.
12. Lady GaGa - Just Dance.
13. Netflix Queues for individuals - Now we all get movies on our own timetables!
14. Mickey Mouse chicken nuggets at Costco - Kids love em, they are fairly clean, ingredient-wise, and 5 lbs foe $13 is a pretty good deal.
15. Sun Crystals - I am trying to reduce my sugar consumption so this Stevia leaf substitute sweetens my coffee in the morning now.

Oh that smells TERRIBLE!

2009-12-22T09:32:00.002-05:00

says Little Guy about the molasses I am adding to the chewy chocolate ginger cookie recipe. His vocabulary is expanding so quickly these days.

colds are not fun

2009-12-22T09:28:00.004-05:00

Little L got her first true cold this weekend, complete with fevers at night and snotty running nose during the day. The poor baby has just learned to climb the stairs and now will just go on up to bed if she is feeeling peaky... I hope she is feeling better soon. It seems like my kids are always sick at the holidays.

Merry, Merry!

2009-12-17T11:19:00.003-05:00

Wishing everyone a very happy holiday.

Baby in a Pink Chair

2009-12-11T06:45:00.002-05:00

I covet this pink chair of the Herbalist's. One day I will have one just like it, but until then I must borrow hers.

Little L is growing up so quickly. Yesterday she started to get her two top teeth in.... she says Mama and Dada and Hiiiii. When she gets exited she flails her whole body, throws her head all the way back and chuckles her deep little chuckley laugh. She is going to be one of those people who really knows how to deeply enjoy life. Her first birthday is fast approaching as I am desperately trying to hold on to every last baby moment I can.

The Herbalist

2009-12-11T06:42:00.003-05:00

I have a new friend. She is an Herbalist. She gave me tinctures to cure my cold. I gave her swine flu. She still likes me. I am lucky.

Lost and Found

2009-12-07T08:14:00.002-05:00

We have a habit of losing thing in my house. Random things like the little metal piece that fits into the bottom of the treadmill that lets it unfold so you can run on it, and a random piece of racetrack leaving you almost able to use it, but not quite. A few weeks ago, Mister lost the back to his mp3 player, the little plastic piece that covers up the battery. i knew that the baby had been playing with the mp3 player - she is strangely attracted to technological gadgets and sugar - but I had no idea what had happened to that little piece. We looked high and low, inside and out (OK mister did, I gave a cursory glace around and gave up), but the missing piece was ne'er to be found.

This morning Little Guy brought me the acoustic 3/4 size guitar that we keep down in the basement for the kids to play with. because he had stuck a Matchbox Firetruck in the hole part of the guitar and he wanted me to get it out. The guitar is one of those things that I bought because I intended to learn how to play it, but once I realized that your fingers actually HURT when you are learning to play guitar, I gave up. Well I managed to get the firetruck out, but there was still something rattling around in there. Something flat and small and I couldn't get a good grip on it. Finally, after much tipping and turning and shaking and grasping it tumbled down to where I could manage to extract it. Yep - there it was - the back to the mp3 player.

I wonder where that ractrack will turn up....

Jollie Roger (part one)

2009-11-06T07:14:00.003-05:00

So I made this shirt for Little L over the summer, to match some bloomers I bought for her on etsy. It is a black tank with a studded Skull and Crossbones emblem on it and it goes perfectly with the little skulls on her pink bloomers. Little L tagged along while I was shooting MissE, and at one point we stumbled across this green wall with some skullie graffiti n it. Seizing the moment, I plopped her down and snapped a few...

Now that I look at them, they look a bit more alien-esque than Jollie Roger. Oh well, there is always next time. And with the Skull and Crossbones being the most enduring logo ever, I am sure we will find another one to pose in front of soon.

Devil Dog

2009-11-06T07:00:00.003-05:00

Zoie's costume this year....

She's a devil dog. Get it? Like the snack cake?

Mister didn't get it either, which sent me on a mission to find the Devil Dog snack cake to prove to him that it DOES exist. I went to 3 different Publix stores, two Target Supercenters, two Super Walmarts and a Kroger, but still couldn't find them. I asked people in the aisles, stock clerks, friends. I described the cake, an oblong chocolate spongecake sandwich with creme in the middle, like a cross between a Twinkie, a Ding Dong, and a Swiss Cake Roll. I finally asked a manager at my favorite Publix if he had them, and he said that they used to carry them, but don't anymore - however the Publix near the perimeter MIGHT still have some in a dusty bin in the back. Who knew snack cakes could be so elusive?

Tutu cute

2009-11-02T21:23:00.005-05:00

Catching up! Row the boats!

2009-10-29T14:03:00.004-04:00

After all that whining, Mister ended up working from home for the past few days because he's not feeling well and doesn't want to spread his germy germs around his office. So considerate. That extra pair of hands to just help me hold the baby during the day make SUCH a difference! I am almost caught up! Go me!

To celebrate, I edited some pictures I've been holding on to since June.

On our way home from the Florida trip, the kids and I drove by the park along the Chattahoochee River. It was approaching dusk and a thick layer of fog was collecting in along the river. The geese were in their geese mode, honking and begging for food. A random Mallard was with them, like an stepchild to the gaggle. Out in the river we could hear the callers telling their teams to "Row! Row! Row!" their boats, even though we could barely see them through the mist. It was one of those times that really felt like magic.

I'm behind.

2009-10-26T22:16:00.002-04:00

I'm behind. Please forgive me if I am still working on your pictures, I know you are anxiously waiting so see what I've come up with from your session. You are wanting to see your precious angels' adorable faces as seen from a different angle, in a different way, and I am enjoying creating these images for you.... but I am most definitely behind.

I could tell you that I am behind because I am still sore from that airplane incident, or that most of the family is fighting off severe head colds or that that leaky roof is actually from hail damage, not just the torrential rains we've had lately, and I have to arrange for the insurance inspector and the roofer to get here at the same time, or that my lovely G tripped while carrying an easel back downstairs and although she managed to escape unscathed, the wall and light switch at the bottom of the stairs did not, leaving me to navigate and work in the glow of a singe overhead desk lamp that dates to the mid seventies and whose brilliance can only be equated with a certain number of candles instead of actual watts until Ican find an electrician to come and rewire the place. Or I could tell you that I am just unable to stay awake past 11 pm anymore to get work done, so tired that when I finally do crawl into bed my bones ache and I fall asleep still straining to get my daily news update from Jon Stewart but somehow rarely make it past the part where he says "Welcome to the Daily Show..."

I suppose I could alleviate some of the tiredness by putting Little L in her own room in her own crib, to get myself a good night's sleep. Or I could just bite the bullet and register Little Guy in a morning nursery school and get him out of my hair so I could really focus on getting some stuff done. I suppose I could go to the store and buy G an Alice in Wonderland costume for Halloween instead of trying to make it myself out of tulle, and I'm pretty certain I should most definitely not have learned how to sew because now all I want to do is run over to the herbalist's sewing room and make things for the babies (hers and mine) out of scrap fabric and ribbon.

But I don't want to. If I did, I wouldn't have the pleasure of waking up with Little L cuddled to my side, her soft silky hair ticking my nose and her fat little hand rubbing my arm. Or, on some rare mornings, waking to find her sleeping on top of my face, cheek to cheek, her body splayed out across my shoulders. I wouldn't see Little man starting to use reasoning and logic to solve his own problems or learning to write his letters and draw dinosaurs and treasure maps and trains. I wouldn't be able to randomly take him on secret excursions to the aquarium, just the three of us, a quick drive down to marvel at the massive hulks that are the whale sharks or to stare at the starfish and anemones in the touch pool, too timid to reach out and feel them, but brave enough to think about it anyway.

What am I doing while I should be working? Holding the baby mostly, and watching the boy. Doing the dishes and the laundry and the shopping and cleaning up all the hair that that infernal dog leaves about the house. Reorganizing those clothing bins and donating unused things to people who can use them. Watching the littlest one learn to stand on her own and worrying for a friend who just had a cancer diagnosis handed down. Waiting for the school bus. Planning baby showers and birthday parties and room redecorations. Sending out prayers for another mother recovering from surgery. Thinking. Writing. Seeing. Watching. Documenting. I am trying to really pay attention this time around. I am trying to really be here with them, instead of half here while they play at my feet under the desk. I know that the littlest things are the ones I will miss the most when they are older, and I don't want to forget again.

So forgive me for the delays. I am working as hard as I can... for you, for them and for myself.

Swipe the chin.

2009-10-24T09:23:00.006-04:00

The other day I was feeding Little L some yogurt and also making a cup of tea, feeding the dog, cooking the older kid's lunch and talking on the phone. G saw that I was struggling to do everything at the same time and gamely offered to feed Little L for me... this wasn't so much for my benefit really, more for her own entertainment, but I never turn down the offer of help. Just ask my sister in law who once politely asked what she could do to help while I was prepping dinner - as a courtesy of course, no one really expects any response other than "oh just pour some wine and relax" - and was hit with a laundry list of chores... including laundry.

So I handed G the yogurt bowl and baby spoon and she started airplaning bites to Little L. I reminded her to give little bites, but for some reason yogurt was still getting everywhere. I watched a little more closely and then remembered...

When G was a baby she went to Miss Lynn's while I worked. I had started her on solids when she was 4 months old; at the time this was the age at which you introduced rice cereal mixed with a good amount of breastmilk to make it nice and watery. Being first time parents and wanting to do everything correctly, we followed our pediatrician's advice and made the concoction, then spoon fed it to our wee 4 month old who wasn't even sitting up unsupported yet. After three days of this, we gave up. It was too much work, too much breastmilk to waste and too much mess. Plus, it seemed silly to force a spoon into G's tiny little mouth when she wasn't even able to sit up yet. When we revisited solids a few months later we went straight to stage 2 jarred food.

Grace was already at Miss Lynn's house by this time, and I noticed that when I picked her up in the afternoons, she was always fairly clean. There were never any sweet potato stains lingering on her onesie from where they had evaded the bib at lunchtime, and she never had the remains of yogurt crusted in her hair. I marveled at Miss Lynn's baby feeding expertise, and one day I finally asked her how she did it.

"Small bites. Swipe the chin." was her answer.

Swipe the chin!! Collect all the left over food that didn't quite make it in the first time with the spoon and pop it back in the baby's mouth before she had a chance to smear it all over the place.

Swipe the chin. It is one of those things that you just pick up from being around other parents and their babies, like burping the baby on your lap while rocking her back and forth, or putting the diapers on backwards when they learn to take them off themselves during naptime. It's so simple, so obvious, yet so not. And here I'd been dabbing at her face with the bib after every bite.

So, as I watched G making a mess with Little L and the yogurt, I almost told her to swipe the chin. Then I pictured what would happen when G tried that maneuver ("Sit still baby, I need to get your chin!" as Little L twists and cries because her entire face is getting poked with the spoon) and decided I'd make sure to tell her later... like when she has better fine motor skills and her own baby to wrangle.

Kiss My Grits

2009-10-21T10:05:00.003-04:00

I love corn. I will eat it in any incarnation - popped, creamed, steamed, grilled, boiled, mashed, baked, ground - you name it. My kids love corn, too... except when presented in the form of grits.

What southern-born, Georgia-bred, great-grandchild of a Rocky Top moonshiner doesn't like grits?!? It is just plain unnatural I tell you.

Grits can be deceiving, though. Once, at J.Christopher's, I ordered a side of grits for G. She was about 7 months old and was really good about trying new foods. I temperature tested the top of the grits with my finger... nice and lukewarm. I gave her a bite and oh my - how she did WAIL! Her sweet little face just crumpled in to sobs and real tears came streaming out of her little accusatory eyes. Turns out grits are really good at keeping the heat on the inside... they were searing hot underneath that lukewarm crust. What an insulator, though - I wonder if the early settlers thought to use the leftover grits to seal up the holes in their cabins... the stuff hardens like bricks when it cools.

Today I introduced grits to Little L and got the same unimpressed review. She happily took a few bites (I made sure it wasn't secretly scalding this time), then proceeded to stick her thumb in her mouth an fwap away the spoon any time I tried to ease some more grits into that perfect Cupid's bow mouth. Strike three.

Now OATMEAL they can't seem to get enough of. Must be the Pennsylvania Dutch eeking through from my side of the family.

I know Where the Wild Things Are...

2009-10-14T00:37:00.008-04:00

Do you?

And did you know they eat rocks and leaves for dinner?

Hat courtesy of angrybaby on etsy.com

Setting the scene with the happy couple

2009-09-20T01:12:00.004-04:00

They told me that were they to print a picture to hang on their wall, it would most likely be of the vineyard itself rather than of the two of them or of any of the guests there (sorry guests). I am out to prove them wrong, however I did make sure to get some scenery shots, just in case.

Oh, and the music? I just put it on because I get a kick out of it.

From the archives

2009-09-20T01:08:00.002-04:00

I can't believe we are approaching a year of Little L. There are so many images in the archives that I haven't gotten around to yet, not to mention her birth announcement! Wow. Maybe tomorrow I'll get that done. Ha!

Be happy for this moment.

2009-09-20T01:07:00.002-04:00

This moment is your life.

"Momma, he said I am a baby..."

2009-09-17T23:43:00.005-04:00

she whined as she came walking dejectedly toward me from the jungle gym.

"Well, ARE you a baby? " I asked.

"No."

"Well then, what does it matter? If he can't see that you are most definitely NOT a baby, if he can't see that you don't crawl around wearing diapers and drooling, then he obviously has limited mental capabilities. Now go play."

It is hard to take insults from other children sometimes, to be able to look at the situation objectively and really see what is going on. It is hard to do as an adult at times also, but the best way to teach your children is by example.

So, when the crazed lady came up to Mister and I at McDonald's the other night, spewing insults about how fat and ugly I am and how Mister is obviously controlled by me, and how I really need to get to Jenny Craig because don't I know how fat and ugly I am?? (all because I dared to come up to her and interrupt her conversation with a man to tell her one of her four children who she'd left unattended in the play area for over an hour, was now BITING the other children in there, mine included), Mister and I just stared at her. We stared and stared, then started grinning as we watched her get more and more upset because no matter what insult she threw at us she got absolutely no response. No sucking in of air, no flicker of rage on the face, nothing... except for a couple of squinty eyes and a slow smile.

After what seemed like 10 minutes she finally gave up on her tirade and marched out of there, stopping to tell the father of the other bitten child to stay the expletive out if it, White Boy (which was not exactly an insult, as he WAS white... and so was she).

Later G told me, "Momma, that lady MUST have been mentally challenged. You're not fat. You're not ugly. Why was she so mad anyway?"

I told G that that lady was probably just embarrassed about her child's behavior and didn't know what to do about it, so she decided to yell. So silly, huh, G? Yes, she said. Maybe she needs to go see that lady Jenny Craig.

Maybe, indeed.

Babette ate oatmeal.

2009-09-14T07:50:00.004-04:00

And she liked it. All over her head.

Being Ugly

2009-09-12T23:51:00.003-04:00

"Quit bein' ugly!"

The first time I heard this phrase, G was bout 2 and I was picking her up from her daycare provider's house. One of the other kids was intentionally hogging all of the Hot Wheels and hiding the ones he couldn't play with under couch cushions so the other little kids couldn't play with them. It wasn't a new behavior for this boy... he did this type of thing with great frequency. But still...

"Oh my gosh!" I thought to myself, "What an AWFUL thing to say! Calling a child ugly! Horrible!"

After Little Guy was born, I started to understand. All of the sudden my sweet G had a green mean streak hiding underneath those shiny blonde curls. Yes, 98% of the time, she just loooooved her brother, but that other two percent. Oh that other two percent. That was just plain ugly. And that is when it hit me. It's not that G was actually ugly her own self, she was just ACTING ugly; and as we all know, beauty comes from within.

So heed this warning, little children: If you act ugly for long enough, it just might just catch up with you one day, no matter how beautiful your exterior starts out. And when it does, you start just .... bein' ugly.

bLimey...

2009-09-05T16:58:00.006-04:00

So I am going to start by telling you that this post has no point, really. No great ending to the story, no ending really at all, just a bunch of self-indulgent drivel that you probably don't have time to read anyway, but yesterday was just so random that I had to share it with you.

It started when I was trying to get some pictures edited. I shot a bazillion at the wedding and although I have finished editing a few, I am still in the sorting process with the rest of them. A bazillion files take a lot of time to sort. So there I am, slowly sorting files, because those bazillion files are now eating up memory on the computer and making it move very s l o w l y... which is bad for file sorting, but really good for Bejeweled Blitz as it stretches that minute into a minute and a half, allowing me to finally get past 100k on the thing.

Back to file sorting... I love all of the pictures. Really, truly. They are fab. I have lots of work ahead of me. And I am still working on MissE's and Susyj's pics also, as well as my own. Sheesh.

So it is 9 am and I remember that I have told my friend K that I'd go to Michael's with her that day, as I have 3 coupons for there and I really like to go places with K because a) she's cool and fun and b) she has a minivan so I don't have to drive. I don't like to drive.

I call K and she comes and picks my sorry tush up and we go to Michael's and have a grand time picking out things for her daughter's birthday party. I, too, have a basketful of goodies, mostly Martha Stewart crafts that I have a 25% off coupon for in my purse... or so I think.

Come to checkout time, I have the 40 percent off coupons for K, but brought next week's flyer for myself instead of this weeks (which has the MS coupon in it), so I leave my basket there, telling the Zac Efron look-a-like that was manning the checkout that I will be back later in the day to get the stuff, knowing that there is only a slim chance that I will actually return. I did, however, pick up the Knifty Knitter Loom for G (per my mom's suggestion), some super soft yarn and a package of retro iron ons that rang up for one penny. I didn't realize I have no idea how to use such a loom until I got home. I am sure YouTube will rescue me on that front.

I get back home and show K all of the tomatoes that are growing in the garden. We have at least 100 on the three plants, but for some reason, they never turn red. The yellow teardrop ones yellow on the vine, but the others remain green. 4 of the 15 we have in the kitchen are turning red now, though. The others are destined for fried green tomatoes I suppose. Must scavenge a recipe for that. Please note, I cannot take the credit for any of the garden bounty. That is all Mister's doing. I only came up with the seeds for him to plant.

K goes to pick up her little man from preschool, so I get back to sorting the files, thinking to myself oh man I need to got to the bathroom, but I am all the way in the basement, so I shall hold it. Then the baby is hungry, then back to sorting, then Jezabelle is hungry... I can tell by her yelping and howling that is now echoing throughout the neighborhood. I go out to feed her and see that her pen really needs a good hosing off, only to find that the hose to the hose winder thingy has sprung free, and each time I try to replace it I get sprayed with water and create a huge pool of muck. And I cannot get the hose off of the hose winder thingy to hook directly up to the faucet, either. Oh, man I still have to pee. Lots of water splashing around. No good. Mosquitoes have now found me and I am quickly becoming their Friday Afternoon Brunch Buffet. Mental note: Gotta get some more Revolution for the dogs.

Now there is water spurting everywhere, I am drenched and just barely able to refrain from pissing myself, being eaten by mosquitoes, barked at by dogs, cried at by babies and still cannot find a hose. I look up... there is one.. right..in..front..of..my..eyes. Finally.

Dog is clean and watered and fed, I am drenched, I sit back down with the baby on my lap to continue sorting when I realize that I have to get to the bus stop to pick up G. Oh and I still have to pee. I run upstairs, finally hit the bathroom, carry baby on my hip down to get G from the bus stop, barely making it in time. G tells me that the Boys Across the Street have invited her and Tyge over. THANK GOODNESS. We wait for their call. G collects all the phones in the house so that she can have at least one with a good battery withing her grasp when the fateful call comes in.

At 4 pm, the phone rings. At last. There is much hollering and goodbying and the two olders fly out the door. I am nursing baby on the couch now, watching Jamie at home BBQ on his antique rotisserie the has "made his culinary year" thinking that looks tasty, but I am totally off meat at the moment and cannot think of a veggie that would be as good to BBQ. Baby falls asleep on my lap and I fall asleep, too, knowing that if I move her she will wake up and I will be miserable. I wake 15 minutes later to Tyler Florencce making margaritas and fajitas. Hmmm, that sounds good. I have all the fixings for that if I could jest get the baby down without waking her up... NO GOOD. Nurse her back to sleep again.

Now the TV switches to Oprah, who has a recipe special on and some guy is making Key Lime Pie. Mmm that sounds good, and looks easy to make. Kids are gone, I can run over to the grocery real fast and get the ingredients and have it cooked in time for Mister to take to the football game.

I call across the street to let them know I am going to the store, and then I set off. My list : Key Lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, organic graham crackers. I find all of my ingredients quickly... the lime juice is organic and in the clearance bin for $1.99! I am so meant to make this pie. The grahams are a bit trickier, but the Annie's Bunnies are on sale and I can just grind them up, right? And chocolate chip ones would be even better, right? Oooh and look! They have a 6 pack of Fat Tire! On Sale! Sweet! AND Guacamole Corn Chips. It was Meant To Be.

Home I go. Small children come running telling stories about mud pies and I immediately send them upstairs to bathe. On to the graham crushing.

How many bunnies to crush, exactly? A whole box is good, I suppose. Doesn't look like enough. Oh well, add the two sticks of butter anyway. Mister has taken the olders and left to Tennessee by now. Little Guy was not supposed to go along, but decided to go at the last minute. I packed him a bag, he changed out of his Florida Gators tee (at his dad's insistence - I say he just wants to represent the WINNERS) and off they went. See ya! Baby is asleep in the crib this time. Ahh, think I'll have a Fat Tire now.

OK, added the two melted sticks of butter, but the combination does not look like wet sand like it did on Oprah... more like brown mud. Oh well, pour it into a pie pan and bake it anyway, it will harden up, right? And after one full Fat Tire ale, the remnants of the chocolate chip graham-butter mud are VERY tasty. On to the pie filling. And the guacamole chips and salsa. Oh so tasty.

Darn, ran out of salsa. Will Ro-Tel and lite Ranch dressing be a good substitute? Call my cousin from New Mexico. Get no answer. Go ahead and try it anyway. BAD IDEA. Salsa is in jars for a reason- so it doesn't taste like tin. Blech. I dump out the Ro-Tel ranch mixture and go on to carrots and ranch instead. Much better. The crust is bubbling now... Hmm, odd. Well, better get to beating those eggs and the milk and whatnot. 15 minutes later, the pie filling is ready, but the crust is still... bubbly. And starting to smell a bit burnt.

I pull it out of the oven and dump the filling in. It immediately sets up. Oops. I was supposed to let that crust, cool first. Now I have Key Lime Scrambled Egg Pie. Whatever, I am two Fat Tires into it now, might as well forge on. I put the pie-egg-scramble in the oven and bake it. It rises? That is strange, it was supposed to be a custard. Well, the vanilla whip cream that I have made is tasty anyway.. and it will cover the entire top of the "pie" so no one will notice, right?

Half a Fat Tire later and the "pie" is in the fridge, the baby is awake, and I am falling asleep.

I have a headache today. But, I have had half of the "pie" and although the crust is like chiseling chocolate graham marble, and the "filling" is very much reminiscent of those dried scrambled eggs they serve at continental breakfasts at the Holiday Inn, it tastes pretty decent.

I meant to do lots of work today. I awoke with the best intentions. But all I've been able to do is type this blog post and take care of the baby. The Vols won. I talked to Mister on his way home. The kids forgot top put underwear on today. I am renaming them both Britney. That's how we do it here in the south. Ding Dang.

good morning...

2009-09-03T16:42:00.006-04:00

Way before I've had my coffee, when my body is still heavy from sleep and I don't want to move a muscle for fear of disturbing the perfect comfort that I feel in the earliest dawn of consciousness every morning, this is the deliciousness that greets me.

good morning.

hot child in the city

2009-09-02T13:10:00.006-04:00

Once, when Sex and the City was still making new shows, Carrie was walking down the sidewalk wearing a pouffy, high-waisted skirt and Jimmy Choos, and the song that accompanied her during this sassy sashay was "Hot Child in the City" by Pat Benetar. It was the very first time I had ever heard the tune, and I immediately loved it like a dog loves Jerky Treats.

Well, a few weekends ago I did a shoot with Young MissE, and while I was picking out her outfit the song was running through my head. MissE, you see, is a very sweet kid, who has a strong sense of self and a style that I think rocks. She also happens to be a very smart young lady... and a girl who my kids all adore. I can only hope they turn out to be as good a teenager as she is.

Here is your sneak peek MissE...

Flight 1787

2009-08-25T08:15:00.005-04:00

So I was on my way back from NY on Sunday when the plane hit some rough turbulence, then an airpocket into a short free fall, then everything was ok. Except when we hit the air pocket, my seatbelt failed, (came unhinged from the seat, not unbuckled) and while I stayed still, the plane fell, so I ended up smacking my head on the ceiling (well overhead compartment caught me first, I was on the aisle seat) of the plane. Little L was in my arms, but I was able to keep her safe... that whole clutch and duck thing is a quick reflex.

I was sitting here trying to figure out exactly how long we were falling, time wise, and although I don't know exactly, but it was long enough for me to think this:

WTF?!?!

Oh crap my sealtbelt came undone.

Protect the baby,DUCK!

Ouch, I wonder if I'm bleeding.

Hey I'm floating! That's pretty cool.

Look at all those people - I bet I look pretty funny to the people behind me (pictured myself floating from their POV)

So this is what it feels like when a plane is crashing.

Ah, not crashing today, that's good.

We are ok. I went to the ER and got a CAT scan and xrays, and I have a concussion. I've been really dizzy and nauseated. My neck and back are killing me. Little L is fine. She didn't even cry. Took her to the pediatrician yesterday and she checked out ok.

Crazy!!

Hi Aunt Angie

2009-08-20T23:08:00.004-04:00

Greetings to my leader.

Dance, Magic and a Prince

2009-08-20T22:58:00.009-04:00

When my cousin's girls were staying with us a few weekends ago, all the kids were gathered in G and Little Guy's room, being very quiet and content. I went to see what they were up to, and lo and behold they were putting on a recital. Big L was the director, Little L was the audience and the other 3 took turns performing. G did a fairy Godmother dance and cast a spell on each of us in turn. Little Guy danced to the Thomas the Train Roundhouse soundtrack. His costume didn't quite match his score, but it was the only dark blue on we had.

All 3 of my kids pouted when it wasn't their turn to perform. The older girls were MUCH better sports.

The Age of Aquarius...

2009-08-20T22:46:00.005-04:00

According to the onesie's description of her sign, she is independent and optimistic. Independent for sure... she started rolling across the room, pushing herself to sitting, crawling, teething AND pulling up in the space of 10 days. She's on the move now. Too soon for me! She's only 6 months old!!

Sunday rewind

2009-08-16T21:30:00.003-04:00

Little L @ 8 weeks

Golden Child (ren)

2009-08-14T13:19:00.006-04:00

I just love how sunset at the shore makes everything look as if Midas himself is wrapping his arms around the world.

And some others from the beach... before the sun started to set

She Sleeps At the Seashore

2009-08-03T18:03:00.006-04:00

Little L spent her first trip to the beach snoozing. It was so windy that day, and it was a bit overcast, also. But, as everyone knows, just because it is overcast doesn't mean that the UV rays aren't damaging your skin, so I ended up trying to shield her from the sun with our jumbo rainbow colored rain umbrella. I am still finding sand in the handle of that thing.

The big blur in the background is the Naples pier.

The Mermaid Princess and Children of the Sunset

2009-08-01T16:14:00.009-04:00

I took these during our trip to Naples. The day was winding down and I was hoping for a cloud-free sunset, but it was not to be. Oh well, I think the clouds add some visual interest anyway, don't you?

While we were there, we met a family with a wee boy who was very good about sharing his sand toys with my two kids... he had the most gorgeous green eyes I have ever seen.

G's crown of seaweed reminds me so much of a young mermaid princess coming ashore to watch the sun melt into the sea for the evening. The beach is a magical place.

Corn!

2009-07-30T06:27:00.003-04:00

corn \ˈkȯrn\ noun

Definition: Car + Horn = Corn!

Usage: You are caught daydreaming at a stoplight which has turned green, and you hear this proclimation issue forth from the backseat... "Mommy, it's a Corn!"

Flower Girl

2009-07-27T02:22:00.004-04:00

These gigantic flower clips are all the rage these days. I bought these on etsy, but do intend to make my own as soon as I have finished turning the basement topsy turvy in search of my dusty, trusty glue-gun. I bought them for LIttle L in particular, along with the white crochet headband to attach them to, since her hair is a faint dusting, at best, but G continually bogarts them for herself. I thought that kind of thing was supposed to be the other way around... little sister stealing from big sister. S'pose it just depends on the coolness factor of the goods.

Notice anything new?

2009-07-27T02:15:00.002-04:00

Little guy popped out a new freckle.

Blue Cats and Beach Babes

2009-07-21T08:56:00.011-04:00

First of all, until recently (which specifically means the American Idol Motown episode) I had forgotten just how much I love the oldies. When I was in 5th grade I saw "Good Morning Vietnam!" and it opened a whole new world of music, to me anyway. The Four Tops quickly became one of my favorite bands and "Love Child" by The Supremes was easily my favorite song of the day. I listened to the records, yes, the vinyls, over and over, the scratchiness of the old needle just adding to the texture of the experience. These old songs are so much FUN to sing, and listen to.. they are easy and simple on the ears, any deeper political or social statements sliding seamlessly into the tunes, so that although they may be saying something, it steel feels like a happy diversion from the doldrums of the regular day. And the best part.... the lyrics are simple to remember. They are still some of the only songs I know all of the words to.

So, whilst waiting in line to get G's face painted at Alive after 5, the band playing in the courtyard struck those familiar six notes, right away I began to sing along. G was stunned that I actually knew a song, and Little L just gurgled with excitement that I was singing something other than Twinkle Twinkle.

Here is G's face... she is a blue cat if you couldn't tell....

The next morning, I went insearch of "My Girl" to add to this playlist, and when I finally found it, I decided I just must post the beach shots I did of Kel's girls, my kids and Stef's girls while we were in FL. This particular evening was GORGEOUS, and although all of my balloons blew away (who needs 'em anyway) the shots I got were spectacular. I will treasure this session, as I will all of the sessions from Florida. I couldn't have asked for a better 2 weeks of shooting.

C & C

2009-07-12T17:19:00.005-04:00

Just a few more before I load the private gallery.

Trying so hard not to forget

2009-07-12T01:03:00.008-04:00

http://coverlaydown.com/2009/07/who-knows-where-the-time-goes-on-growing-up-growing-old-and-trying-to-remember-it-all/

As our September babies get closer to sixhood every minute of every day, I am constantly wondering, how did that happen? I am sad that I barely remember G as she once was, a tiny little thing who stunned everyone with her enourmous vocabulary and ability to walk when she was just the same size as the baby is now. Luckily, I have Little L and, being the carbon copy that she is, I can imagine G as a baby simply by changing Little L's eye and hair color in my mind. But it's just not the same....

Baby Jokes

2009-07-11T10:00:00.004-04:00

Last night, I was holding Little L on my lap after she'd finished nursing and she was just chattering away. Suddenly, she grabbed my face with both hands, and brought it toward hers. Her lips landed on my chin and she started sucking, like she was trying to nurse on my chin. After a minute she popped off, leaned back, looked me in the eye and laughed, laughed, laughed. Then she did the same thing, though this time she nursed on my cheek. Then my nose, my chin, the corner of my mouth, each time popping off, catching my eye and only then laughing. Like she had to know that I knew that she was being silly before she's let loose with her funny little chuckle. Such a character... and only 5 months old!

C and C and W

2009-07-10T00:25:00.007-04:00

When I was down in my hometown, I did a session with a good friend's three children. The oldest, who I remember babysitting when she was just a wee monkey, has grown into quite the big sister. The youngest, whom I had never met in person, has this GIGANTIC personality it a teeeeny little body. And the middle child, the only boy, was feeling rather uncooperative at the beginning, though by the end he'd softened up. Here are a few from the start of the session, just a peek...

Rock on!

2009-07-04T00:41:00.007-04:00

I just love my Little L to bits. She's just the most squeezable, tolerant, endearing, cuddlesome little peanut that ever existed. It's like she was conjured out of some special kind of magic that only thirdlings know about. You can see it in the way her eyes just sparkle sometimes. She has the power to cheer up anyone with one quick grin, as was evidenced tonight when G became very upset because her friend bailed out on a sleepover. G was practically sobbing, and Little L just started quietly crying along with her. G looked up and made eye contact, Little L gave a half smile, and the world was right once again.