Hi Yah!

Sometimes I seriously wonder if my daughter is actually related to me.  She loves to read science fiction, she isn't shy in the slightest, she asks A MILLION questions a day, and now it appears she is athletic as well.  This girl can even do push-ups ... like a grown man!  Yup, it's a wonder we're related.

Since starting Tae Kwon Do in June, my daughter has earned three out of four stripes on her white belt, and I imagine she could have her orange belt by Christmas.  Not only that, but she is "Student-of-the-Month" at her karate studio.  

Her many accomplishments in such a short amount of time makes me one proud mama.  That is, if I really am her mama.  {grin}

Back To School

Summer vacation is over and it was a pretty easy going (lazy) few months.  The funny thing is, I considered getting up at 7:30 every morning to be getting up "early".  Well, our daily schedule had definitely changed around here as the new school year has begun.  Now my day begins at 6:15.

My little second-grader, ready to learn and make some friends.

The morning rush includes walking my kids to school.    I'm happy to do it, I need the exercise.

My daughter had her first day yesterday and my son, today.  That means ... I had FOUR hours to myself!  I have waited for this day for SO long.  What did I do with all of that time alone?  Well, I had thoughts of treating myself to a Starbucks, or taking a walk, or catching up on unwatched recorded television shows; but instead I savored the silence, edited photos, and caught up on some paper work.  In the silence.  Did I mention there was silence?  Glorious!

You may not be able to tell, but my son really was excited for his first day of preschool.  Really he was.  This is his "I-know-you-are-taking-a-picture-of-me-so-I-am-going-to-be-as-awkward-as-possible" look.  What can I say ... he's four.

Ha ha!  But I snapped this while he was laughing at a funny face he had just made!

Figuring out our new schedule and the best routes to school might take a little time, but ultimately I am thrilled that school is back in session.  Now I'm just waiting for Friday when I can savor four hours of silence once again!

Boys Will Be Boys

Growing up with sisters, and my only cousin being a girl, I was never fully exposed to boys and how they play.  Yes, I have a son and he does boy things, but he can also be found dressed up in the occasional princess dress by his older sister.  So when I see a whole pack of lads racing around the backyard in Power Wheels or jumping on the trampoline with endless energy, I am completely fascinated.

Over the weekend my sister-in-law and her family came for a visit.  We had awesome food and great conversation, but I'd have to say the best part was watching the boys be boys.  Armed with the most random of things - a plastic hardhat, some rain boots, and an arsenal of super cool sound effects noises, my son and his cousins ran about the backyard for hours.  My husband chased them around the lawn, flinging them up into the air.  They took turns running into bushes with the Hummer.  And by the end of the evening you could practically count the number of tumbles and trips and falls they took with two hands, but those would never hamper the boys' fun for long.

After our guests departed this morning, my son was still on a high from all of the playing.  By the early evening he had fallen asleep on the couch.  And I suspect tomorrow he'll be asking how many minutes it will be until he gets to see his cousins again.

My Karate Kid

Don't even think of messing with this girl!  She's tough, she's disciplined, and she's ready for anything that comes her way!

She earned her white belt and her sense of pride is prompting her to go for the gold (well, actually yellow).  And I have a sense of pride over her hard work and determination.

She's my little karate kid.

The Return Of My Little French School Girl

It was just last week that I was giving my son a haircut.  Looking a bit shaggy, I thought that a short "summer" cut was in order for him.  Well, much to my shock, my daughter asked me to give her a haircut too.  Then I was REALLY shocked when she used her hand to make a slicing motion at her chin, indicating the length she was thinking!

It was two years ago when she picked up a pair of scissors and decided to give herself a "trim", resulting in a very short bob.  I loved the look but she was sad to see her precious long locks go ... hence my shock at her desire to revisit that short coif.

Ready for her cut, she insisted upon a "before" and "after" photo, and I was happy to oblige.  Without any reservation on her part, I took that first snip below her chin.  The hair fell into her lap, which she examined, but her expression indicated nothing but excitement.  When I finished cutting her hair, she ran into the bathroom and let out an elated sigh.

Well, that was easy!  And surprisingly painless.

We all adore her new summer look and more importantly, she is one satisfied customer.

Sweets For A Sweetie

It was a Monday night when she came into the world.  She weighed in at 8 lbs. exactly, and had a head of dark hair and was so sweet and pink.  Seven years later she is full of personality, talent and humor.  And her smile is still like sunshine to me.

We celebrated my daughter's birthday this year by visiting the grandparents over the weekend, and enjoying some cupcakes.  Really, is there anything better than picking out your own cupcake? 

 Decisions, decisions! After some consideration, she finally chose a strawberry cake with butter cream frosting topped with pink sprinkles.

We also did a little shopping, where she chose a Hello Kitty! diary for recording all her secrets, and made a stop at a place with inflatable bouncy structures.  All in all, it was a pretty sweet weekend.  And tonight, it's more presents and a dinner out, making this girl's birthday even sweeter!

Happy Birthday my sweet girl!

I See The Light

When she heard there was to be a talent show at her school, my daughter immediately wanted to participate.  It wasn't long before she determined that she'd sing a song, "I See The Light" from her favorite movie, Tangled.  For weeks she practiced, memorizing the words and learning the melody.

When auditions were held, she was the first to try out.  With poise, confidence and a few pangs of nervousness she walked up to the microphone, introduced herself and the song she would sing, and sang her little heart out.  Needless to say, she made it!

Last night was the performance.  The performers had a grand entrance into the gymnasium, where they got to walk the "red carpet" and were sat down in order of their performance.  There were 29 performances - all under two minutes - and we saw a comedy act, some dancing, one girl danced with her black Labrador, a young lady hula hooped with three hoops at a time, and there was a lot of singing with Taylor Swift songs as the popular choice of the night.  Some chose to sing with accompaniment, others used just their voice. 

 The performers make their way to the red carpet.

 She sang like and angel, and look how the star behind her looks like an angel wing!

Watching my little girl get up on the stage, take a brief pause, and then begin to sing, filling the room with her angelic voice ... well yeah, I cried.  I cried for at least a good five minutes!  She had practiced so hard, and seeing this little first-grader engaging the audience and displaying confidence was undeniably heartwarming.

 After the talent show, I presented with her with a bouquet of flowers and then took her over the red carpet to get some shots of her.  She really hammed it up!

Little Slider

His daddy drives a Ford F250 truck named "Slider".  He drives a Power Wheels Ford Fx4 truck named "Little Slider".  His daddy likes to drive fast.  He likes to take it slow.  His daddy likes to go off road.  He likes to stick to the streets.

Still, the phrase "like father, like son" definitely applies here.

Remembering Cindy Snow

She looks like her daddy.  In fact, when she was born I struggled to find any hint of similarity to me.  But as she has gotten older, her interests and mannerisms were definitely inherited from yours truly. 

As I have been delving into boxes, portfolios, and briefcases filled with my old artwork, I have stumbled upon the good, the bad, and the cringe-worthy.  It is difficult for me to see drawings I once did, with disproportionate human forms and badly sketched trees.  Perhaps there was a reason I had them hidden away for so long.  There was a pleasant surprise, however, when I found my old paper dolls.

From about the third grade until the 8th grade I would spend hours drawing dolls and the clothes for them.  I would name them, give them an age, and even a story.  My figure drawing got better as I got older, as did my sense of fashion.  Thrilled with my discovery, I shared my treasured memories with my daughter, whose eyes grew large with excitement as she looked upon the dolls.  "YOU drew these, Mama?  These are so amazing!" she said as she carefully held one in her hand.  Well, that was a bigger response than I was expecting.  For hours we poured over the dolls like Nicky South and her twin sister, Vicky (I was very influenced by Sweet Valley High books in those days, anybody remember them??).  She tried on all the clothes and I told her the stories behind each character: Cindy Snow, Miko Han, the twins and Sarah Tenning.  

 Cindy Snow gets her party dress on.

As you can see, these clothes were probably drawn in 1987, because back then EVERYBODY had a two-tone catsuit with a keyhole neckline.  And that extra long color block sweater?  I'm pretty sure I saw one on an old episode of Full House recently.

Inspired by my masterpieces, my daughter decided she wanted to make paper dolls too.  Out came the paper and pencils, scissors and crayons.  For being in the first grade, I have to say that her creations are quite good.

 Just look at that long blond hair and (very) full lips!  I'm definitely seeing some artistic talent here.

As we were putting the dolls away, my girl told me that she loved looking through my "memories". And I loved sharing them with her.

Music To My Ears

"I wrote a song Mama ... but it's a short one", my daughter told me one morning last week.  She has been musical ever since she could utter a sound.  Before we moved, her bedroom sat on the second floor and she would sing out her open window, filling the neighborhood with her angelic voice.  Music is in her soul.

Thanks to Craigslist (and some persuasive negotiating skills by my husband), she now has the means to further her musical journey with a newly purchased guitar.  This is a real guitar, not a toy, that fits her little hands. 

The surprised look on her face was priceless as Daddy presented it to her from behind his back. 

Her fingers ran over the instrument as she inspected the strings and bright pink decoration.

Her expression showed delight as she strummed for the first time.

And the guitar lessons promptly began.

This morning my girl told me that she wrote another song - it's about trusting God.  That is literally music to my ears.

He Will Always Be My Baby

Yesterday was my son's birthday.  I honestly am having a hard time believing that he is four years old.  I still think of him as a baby I suppose - my little baby.  Then when I really look at him and I see the size of his feet or watch the way he drives his battery operated truck around the backyard ... it hits me ... he is getting so big.

Being in a new town is tricky when it comes to birthdays because we know so few people.  So, I was relieved when we asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday and he replied, "I wanna go camping".  Sure, camping in the middle of March in Oregon sounds a little crazy, but we knew that the time spent snuggled up in our 5th wheel, eating cake and opening presents would create great memories.  And it sure did!

He had a ball putting the candles in his cake (that he got to decorate).  And he didn't stop at four ... he wanted them all!  Why not?

The next morning brought rain to our campsite, but that didn't put a damper on bubble blowing!

And this mama's heart melted when he wanted to cuddle up on my lap at the end of the day.  Prooving that no matter what age he is, he will ALWAYS be my baby.

This Kid

 My son in 2007

Yup, I love this kid.  I love him when he grins from ear to ear as he rides his battery operated Hummer around the backyard.  I love this kid (even) when he sneaks crackers off of the kitchen counter after being told that snack time is over.  I love this kid when he asks me in the sweetest voice if I would read him a story.  I love this kid when I must put suspenders on him to keep his pants up over his non-existent hips.  I love this kid when he stifles a pleased grin as he is told he looks very handsome in his church clothes.

I love this kid when he plays hard and nonchalantly checks to see if I'm watching.

And I love this kid when he randomly falls asleep on the family room floor.

I just love him.

Buster, Biff, Buckwheat And A Bear

Thanksgiving this year took us to see family in Central Oregon.  It is always quite the experience when our clans converge and stay at the parents house.  Brothers and sister reunite, grandparents get to dote on their grandbabies, and cousins have no choice but to play with each other.  About halfway through the visit, the cousins (all six years old and under) were starting to act more like siblings.

From left: Buster, Biff, Buckwheat and Bear.  Trying to get a good photo where all four of them are smiling at the camera is NO easy task!  But sometimes we get lucky.

I loved to watch my son, nicknamed "Biff", teach his one year-old cousin "Buckwheat" how to write an X with the Aqua Doodle.  "Buster", who is turning four in a few days, loves cars as much as my son and they both make engine noises when ramming monster trucks into each other.  Then there is my girl, the only girl of the cousins, whom we have always called "Bear".  She feels right at home with playing with the boys or finding a quiet corner somewhere to play with her Barbie dolls.

 The boys all sport shirts that Meemaw and Boppa brought back from Spain.

 The girl's shirt is from Spain as well, but is slightly more feminine!

I have very few memories of interacting with my own cousin who is seven years older than me, so seeing my kids form friendships with their relatives is very special to me.  Sure, there are meltdowns, fights, accidents, and inevitable whining; but these are good kids and the trouble never lasts for long.  And I look forward to many more years of family gatherings and great memories!

Into The Woods

One thing I am definitely going to miss about our neighborhood after we move is the little park on the end of our street.  My kids love to go swing on the swing set at a moment's notice, and I'm happy that I don't have to load them into the car every time they want to play at the park.  

Behind the playground is an open wooded area with tons of scraggly trees, pine cones, and wheat-like grass.  I has been the backdrop for many photos including snow day shots and knitting projects like my Hundred Acre Woods owl sweater.  It has been the perfect place to practice using my 60mm lens as the many provide great depth of field and texture.  I will miss the ease of just walking down the street to have instant scenery.

Yesterday I took my children to the park to play and take some last shots of them tromping around in the woods that we have come to know. 

Go Beavs!

My son insists that he is big enough to button up his own pajamas, thank you very much.   And he is, even if it takes him five years to work each button.

Go OSU Beavs!

An October Tradition

Whew!  I honestly didn't think we were going to make it this year.  We just had to, it's tradition!  We FINALLY made it out to the pumpkin patch on October 31st, and we were cutting it close.  It had been raining a lot last week, so the mud was abundant.  But fortunately for us, so were the pumpkins and great lighting for photos.

The goats provided great entertainment, especially when the mama goat would move in toward the camera for her closeup.  

My son in particular had so much fun that he is already asking to go again.  Sorry my boy ... October is an entire year away.

A Snow White Of Sorts

Every afternoon I open my office window in anticipation of hearing my daughter's school bus.  I get a jolt of excitement when I see her walking up the street to our house in her sparkly pink shoes.  She reminds me of Snow White, a fair-haired version, as she looks around her world with wonder.  She stops to smell the flowers.  She calls to the birds. 

And I wouldn't be surprised at all if a family of deer walked up to her and nuzzled her with their noses. 

Drowning My Tears

This morning started off bright and early.  It is the first day of school!  With my daughter going into first grade, she has expressed her independence in many ways.  When I told her that I would take her to school, she looked at me with an inquisitive expression and said, "Why?  I know how to take the bus."  I mentioned that I would like to take her to her classroom and she said that she knew where her room was and how to get there all by herself.  {sobs begin here}

She knew exactly how she wanted to wear her hair (with a swoop in the front, and a headband to hold it in place).  She chose her outfit well in advance and looked forward to wearing her new shoes.  She didn't want to wear her glasses because she felt she didn't "look as pretty" with them on, but Mom overruled.  After the first day photos, I drove her to school where she insisted that I drop her off in front of the playground where she confidently joined her class ... and never looked back.  {sobs getting LOUDER here}

And she will ride the bus home, where I was told that I don't need to wait for her at the bus stop, because she is a first-grader now.  {sobs are uncontrollable now}

So, my son and I went to Peet's coffee and I drowned my tears in a cappuccino and some lemon cake.  Still, I have had a constant well of emotion in my eyes all day.  So now, I am off to go sob some more until my baby gets home this afternoon.

It's A Jeep Thing ...

 

As the weather is starting to cool down and give way to autumn, it's a must to get in those last rides in a convertible.  Grab a buddy (preferably one who has his own Jeep) and go for a cruise about the neighborhood!

Car maintenance is very important ... and as well as a group effort.

Wrangle up some fun before the Jeep will be put away for the winter.  Going off-road is optional!