My Girl & Me

I like this photo of my girl and me. We spend time together just talking and it is so fun. She is very expressive, she likes to share all the details, and she really can get into her stories. Other times she is quiet and prefers to snuggle and observe. Both ways are fun depending on her mood, and I just cherish every second of our togetherness.

We are down to just one day of summer. Floating by like the gentle beach wind. She will be in fourth grade. Where has the time gone? Where are the moments she would gaze her big blue eyes at me with her wide cheesy grin from her white slated crib? Where are the moments she would say her cute little word "That?" while pointing to something. And the moments when little brother arrived and it was all about saying "No, no, no, no, Mommy, I do it."

Fourth grade. Taking more steps on her own away from mom, but still within arm's reach.

My Girl & Me = Happy.

LIVE!!

My hubby and I thoroughly enjoyed our final date of summer this evening at an outdoor concert with the amazing sights and sounds of Sheryl Crow. We haven't been to a concert for so long, and this was really fun. The weather parted during the late afternoon; it was sooo nice and a welcomed surprise. James Blunt opened and made the gutsy move to literally run through all the pathways amongst the crowd; which took the level of crowd-pleasing up a notch. They both rocked the park and it was a great way to end the summer!

Is this Iowa?

I often reminisce about the farm towns that we passed on our road trip four years ago through Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois. I enjoyed the feel and look of the open sky in the farm lands, the solitude of small towns we walked through, and the contrast between that and the big cities we visited along the way. But I especially preferred the quietness of the corn fields. I like the look of corn fields; to me it says down-home America. So simple. Wispy wheat things on top, neat shades of green on the bottom. To walk through a corn field is an experience; getting lost in a corn field is an experience too.

Our little box of corn in our backyard was perfect this year. It was fun to see it shoot from a tiny start to a not too shabby height. We harvested some today; and we have already had some for lunch. However, I can't tell you if this is like eating corn from the great Iowa fields that I enjoy so much, since we did not get a chance to taste any corn in the corn state, but I can tell you it got two thumbs up from our family.

As much as my husband would like to take a summer sabbatical to Europe, I would like to take a summer sabbatical and live on (preferably) a crop farm (versus livestock farm). I of course envision that I would have loads of great recipes and canning techniques up my sleeve to perform on command, and it would be just as magical as I picture it in my head.


***I just received this email from my dad that I thought was too funny after going on about wanting to live on a crop farm (and yes, he is a farm boy). The title of the email was Hey Farm Girl and it read: "The wheaty thingy on top of corn stalks is called a Tassle or Corn Silk and is part of silk that you have to get rid of when you husk the corn to eat. Just trying to Farmucate ya." Got it! Thanks, Dad!! xoxo

Fast Thinkin'

So we have crashed in the sun department in the West and it really is not very fair, I mean, it is still August! But I will refrain about our aggrevation with weather because it really becomes boring to hear us complain. In addition, with the hurricane approaching the U.S., I know in all seriousness that we really don't have much to complain about around here.

Today I filled up my cloudy day at the kids' pediatricians office for their annual well-child checkups. Having upcoming birthdays, I finally got smart and scheduled early enough to hit the summer window so time off from school was not necessary. Our pediatrician, whom we've adored from day one, moved toward retirement, so we have a new doctor. Today was the test. She blew us away with flying colors. We are happy!

Looking in my son's chart, she noticed that his chicken pox booster was ready. However she let it slip that the booster recommendation was from age 8 to 12; "So we can get that done today." My quick witted, mathematical son pipped up and said, "Well, no, cuz I'm not really 8 until October, so I'll just wait until I'm 10. Yep, I'll get it when I'm 10. It's between 8 and 12."

He escaped the booster ... with a chuckle from the doctor and a smirk from his mother.

High Definition Experience Project; a photoblog

I have been waiting all summer for this site to be published. My husband encouraged me a year ago to blog and I did not. It was not until our friend Willow said to "just do it." Now it was my turn to hound my husband to publish a blog back in May when he received our Canon Rebel XSi. He has an incredible gift in creativity and art and his photography skills have skyrocketed since being mentored by, once again, our friend Willow. We call it the Willow-Effect.

So as his photos began to stream across our desktop files labeled Home Photos; I would snag one here and there for my blog. But I kept thinking about all the hundreds not accounted for, just happily taking up file space on our pc. I urged him to "just do it" and he finally did.

I love his site; all the photos published, and all the potential ones sitting in the wings behind the scenes. His photography captures a wow-ness factor, creativity, and a genuine gift for having a keen eye. He is an amazing person who is multi-talented in the field of art. I am very proud of the many things he does for our family ... but right now, I am super proud of his blog which publishes his photography.

Go check it out, bookmark it, post it on your blog, check back daily, and add any comments. The High Definition Experience Project is what's new on blog-world ... don't miss out.

Paint Away!

The kids and I had a great day spending time with their cousins and Aunt (my sister-in-law). The kids are like four peas in a pod; always happy to be together doing the kid thing that they do best ~ laughter, giggles, laughter.

We met at a pottery store where you get to choose off the shelf, paint to your heart's content, and then come back seven days later for the finished pottery product. As the kids were sitting at their table, happily painting and being very patient with their individual projects, it dawned on me that I forgot our camera. I was so frustrated with myself. It was definitely a camera-worthy moment.

I will repost with pictures when we receive the finished masterpieces. I will confess that I kept thinking of this neat site (and her blog) while I was engrossed in watching the kiddos create. I think I might have to go back on my own when the kids are in school and do something myself; I was kinda inspired today. Both my SIL and I admitted that we are low on the pottery artistic pole, so we need all the concentration we can get without conversation in order to get anything remotely well done.

Paint Away!

Through the years

My daughter has changed her mind. She no longer would like to do basketball versus Jazz this upcoming school year. Being out of dance during the summer closure has shown her that her current passion is still dance.

A call to the studio confirmed there was a spot for her and it requires her first set of Jazz Shoes (of course that was a nice surprise for her and an "Ohhh" surprise for me). Today we went to the dance store to gather her new ballet shoes, her jazz shoes, her new ballet uniform and a (supposed) extraordinarily easy bun maker for her hair. While I was driving her home, I was reliving the memories of her in dance throughout the years.

We first surprised her in Kindergarten when we purchased a Christmas gift of Ballet Dance Classes. She was completely excited and could not wait to start.

In First Grade, the girls had Badge Day, which was when the dance teacher called a student's name and asked that student to prepare to be the leader of the class in two weeks. This meant that she needed to know and perform accurately all the steps and routines that they had been working on, they were scored by their teacher, and the student was expected to create and perform a dance solo to her own music at the end of class.

In Second Grade, the Exams began. We were introduced to the twice weekly, grueling practices that we know will only get more strenuous as the years continue.

Third Grade, Exams again, but this time in groups of five or six which meant that teamwork learning and coordinating were key. This particular pose was done in our living room, only because all the photos that I snapped during class time this year were completely a blur. Every..single..one..this..year! I have tons of video, but my pictures are lame.However ... getting the new Canon in May was a blessing because my husband now had the professional camera to go with his lighting equipment to do our own photo shoot of her dance recital uniforms (versus spending way too much money for low quality prints from the studio photographer). The above white screen was eventually Photoshopped into a background like this:
While it would have been fun to see my daughter try a new sport, I am very proud of her for knowing her inner drive and passion at this moment in time. It will be fun to watch another year of growth in her dancing to add to our memory books.