Lemonade for Sale!

Katie was a little bored today while Hannah napped so like her mother she went into business for herself.  My little entrepreneur!  She stayed out there for about 2 1/2 hours.  After about an hour her friend Lainie joined her.  They enjoyed drinking as much as selling the lemonade.  Can you believe she made over $15.  How crazy is that?!

Sick Day Photo shoot: Boredom

After spending 4 days sequestered in the house due to illness boredom got the better of us.  It started with me wanting to take a picture of Katie with her hair straitened.  After a couple of shots Katie decided we would have a photo shoot complete with MANY wardrobe changes and background changes. Even Hannah got into the fun a little.

My Tooth is Loose!

I guess kindergarten and loose teeth go hand in hand.  Katie’s lower middle tooth has been wiggling for a week now.  She was so excited she started writing letters to the tooth fairy about it.  We haven’t lost it yet but you will get an update as soon as she does! For now here is correspondence between her and the tooth fairy.

1st Day of School

My baby is starting kindergarten this year.  Every Mom’s worst nightmare.  Ok not worst nightmare but the bitter sweetness of your baby turning into a big girl.  She was so excited. She set her alarm clock, woke herself up and got herself dressed.  She was very excited about having a wallet and backpack so she could buy her lunch.  Hannah and I walked her to class.  She was pretty timid not wanting to participate until she saw a familiar face. But after picking her up after the first day she announced she wanted to ride the bus home!  AND walk in by herself.  My big big girl.  So day 2 she rode the bus home.  Here you see her when Penny and I went to meet her at the bus.

Pelicans!

No. Not the bird.  But the girls favorite snow cone place.  The man who owns it travels the world searching for new flavors.  Seems to me he has them all but I guess popcorn or wedding cake you just can’t find those kind of flavors just ANYWHERE.  I personally love the ice cream.  Sometimes the girls and I hit this favorite spot after school in the summer. 

These are just a couple of Hannah playing in the backyard.  She is very upset in the last three because Grace the dog next door won’t let her give him his toy.  She is so cute-even when she cries.

Strawberry Patch with Playgroup

I must admit this one is a little out of order.  With wedding season full on I am a little behind on my personal blogging.  This was from May when we went to the Strawberry patch.  Evidently the strawberry in the mouth shot has caught on!  One of my favorites so I don’t complain when they do it.  ;  )

TEXAS TEXAS TEXAS!

My friend Julie and I have known each other going on 16 years.   We are both Mother’s and photographers now.  We love spending time together at conventions or doing fun stuff with the kids.  This year the girls and I flew to Dallas to see them.   They all got along great.  A little TOO great at times.  Although there was the occasional no boys allowed.  Grrr… (We are working on that one with Katie.)  But all in all they had a BLAST.  Thanks Julie for always being so good to us. We miss you already!

Mommy. You always really nice.

Sometimes your girls just do things that completely melt your heart.  This was one of those days.  Katie, Hannah and I were driving and just talking.  I can’t remember how we got on the topic but we were talking about the new van we bought.  I explained that we bought it for them so they could have their friends ride with us or so we could go to the grocery store without having all the groceries piled all around them and have plenty of space.   The van got really quiet for a couple of minutes then out of no where from the back came Hannah’s voice.  “Mommy.  You always really nice.”  Awe… How can you not just melt with a comment like that…

Visit from the McKinney Cousins

We had a huge houseful last weekend. But we love having company!   The girls love their cousins. Katie is crazy for Tori and Taylor whereas Hannah is mesmerized by Zach.   We had the whole gang in for John’s nephew’s wedding which I had the honor to photograph. I wish I had taken more pictures of the family at home but at least here are some from the wedding.  OH! And this fabulous family portrait by Katie.   :  )

First Swim Meet

Cheering her team mates on!
Katie had her first meet and qualified for 2 main events.  She did so good.  We are so proud.  Her strokes are almost perfect. She has learned to dive and her speed has improved.  She placed in both her events and qualified for main events in the next meet.  (Of course we were in Texas for it.)  Don’t tell her.  She even said before we left that she didn’t want to go because her team was counting on her.  What a good girl I have…

I love this car!

These are coming a little out of order as we have already gotten back from San Diego but I have yet to finish processing all the pictures.  But on the last day we took a cab to the airport.  As we are walking out of the hotel lobby I tell the girls to walk towards the yellow car, which by the way was an extremely bright yellow, more so than normal.  Anyway, after putting the car seats in and getting all settled we take off. Hannah asks for her window to be put down.  The cab driver obliges her.  She sits quietly for a couple of minutes then announces. “I LOVE THIS CAR!”  Who knew.  She must be my city girl bound for NY some day.

Need Work

Well it is summer and the height of wedding season for me so of course I have lost all my babysitters.  Most have graduated and found jobs.  We still have Miss Lyall a little bit as she graduates this weekend and has been feverishly applying for a teaching job which are hard to get with the state budget cuts.  Anyway, on the way home from the airport Katie notices a homeless man in the median carrying a sign.  She asks me, “What does that sign say?” I reply, “NEED WORK”.   Then I explain that the man is asking for work because he needs money.  Her reply was, “THAT’S WHAT MISS LYALL SHOULD DO!”  Gotta love her.  It’s so simple! Why didn’t WE think of that?

My Aunt’s Rich

My little cousins came for a visit this weekend.  Fun to be had by all.  First the neighborhood yard sale, then strawberry picking and lastly the pool opened today!  But the funniest for me was Daniel’s comment.  “We’re so lucky.  We have a rich Aunt!”  me “I’m not rich.  What makes you think I am rich?” Daniel, “Because!  You have a thousand dollars!” me laughing.  “A thousand dollars doesn’t make someone rich.  It takes more like a couple million.”  Daniel, “Well, we’re still lucky.”  Yes we are Daniel.

Go Really FAST!

Katie has always been my conservative, well behaved responsible one.  Hannah still being very young is still in the processes of showing us who she is going to be.  So with that said, Katie is conscious to tell me when ever I am speeding or at least ask “Mommy are you going the speed limit?”  When I was going to pick up Katie from school one day Hannah said something I didn’t quite understand.  She kept on trying though, every time we would leave the neighborhood to pick up Katie.  I finally figured it out.  “GO REALLY FAST!”  ha ha! She does it every time katie is not in the car.  Hmmm….

Easter 2010

It is becoming an annual tradition to have Easter down at the beach. And what a great tradition it is… With the first comings of spring the warm air just beckons you to the water.  This weekend was particularly warm so PERFECT for a little Easter Egg Hunting.  


My Little Valentines

This year’s Valentine’s breakfast wasn’t nearly as elaborate as last years but I thought French Toast in the shape of hearts would make it really fun.  Oddly as it turns out my children don’t like french toast!  Are you kidding???!!!

A little Sidewalk Art

Ah my little artists.  As you can see they make themselves houses and even beds in the houses and then lay in them. They crack me up.  Oh and Katie made me my favorite flower in her house.  Hannah’s favorite part is drawing the garden around the house. She makes SURE all the flowers have stems and have the middles colored.