My Scarlett is ONE today!!  Where the hell has this year gone anyway??  Here she is…a radiant, curious, beautiful….toddler!!??

I know, I know…I’ve been out of commission for….2 months now. Then I all of a sudden pop up out of nowhere to say MERRY CHRISTMAS! Hopefully after the holidays I will once again be able to post at least weekly!

Jenna, Scarlett, and Charlie ~ 2006

I’m sure some of you may be bored with seeing my photography…but hey, it’s all I have time for people! So here’s me just messin’ around with my camera. This would be a much cooler photo if I actually knew how to play the guitar…LOL! It would definitely put some more meaning behind it, wouldn’t it? Oh well, I like it anyway….

Grab the Scavenger Hunt code. Photo Theme. Join the blogroll. Visit participants.

This week’s theme was difficult for me. I browsed through 100’s of photos that I had taken, but had no luck. So I stole a pic my husband took instead. This was taken at a ranch here in town, where my brave boy couldn’t get enough of riding the horses. I chose this as my “safe” pic since I am holding his hand keeping him from falling from the horse.

Grab the Scavenger Hunt code. Photo Theme. Join the blogroll. Visit participants.

So I joined this blogroll called “Photohunt” and each Saturday, there is a different theme…and you post a pic accordingly. I’m not sure if “dreaming” is supposed to be a picture of somebody sleeping or something not so literal. Either way, this is the best that I’ve got! This was Scarlett’s first day home, sleeping quite peacefully in her bassinet. I can’t believe she’s already 10 months!!!

Update!: I just found out that I got an honorable mention in a photo contest for this shot! Please go check it out at Picture This….an awesome blog with lots of info and ideas in photography.

Today my dad and step-mom came to visit us and the kids. And how can the grandparents come without wanting to taking a trip on over to Toys-R-Us?? In the check-out line, after the kids each picked out a toy, Deby spotted some bubbles and decided to get those for them as well. When we got home, we all went out back to test out these new amazing bubbles…and amazing they were! There was no popping these suckers! They would land in our hair and stayed until you brushed them off. My dad demonstrated that you could actually BOUNCE them off one another! He also ran around the yard (being the kid that he is) to collect and stack his bubbles. I think he and Deby had more fun with them than the kids did! So here they are….the magnificent, incredible, unpoppable….”Catch-A-Bubble“!!! (On my dad’s fingertip, of course)

We were invited to a lovely Labor Day picnic at Maclay Gardens with our good friends, Tassy, Jeremy and their children, Caroline and Charlotte. I just recently got this one developed, which was taken with my old 35mm, and fell in love with it. Charlie and Caroline wanted to go down by the water before we had to leave. The expressions on both of their faces are priceless. It’s hard to believe by looking at this picture that Charlie had a massive meltdown right after this was taken. He didn’t want to leave! Who can blame him, it was a good day!

I love anything that involves photographs and memories, so this is a must-have for myself. And, at only $12.50 each, I will be getting one for all my kids (eventually)!

spoonsisters

The kids were driving me crazy in the house today, so I thought I’d take ‘em out front in our cheapo ten dollar kiddie pool. Turns out, I really should have been doing this all summer! They were all so happy and content for a good hour! My little Scarlett was hesitant at first, but I think she ended up having the most fun! She was PISSED when I took her out!

I’m pretty hard on myself when it comes to any photography I do….but I LOVE this one of Jenna!!!

taken 09.30.06

I thought it was about time to add a pic of my niece, Jenna.  This was taken out front today.  The only time her or Charlie stood still enough to take a decent pic was when the huge, loud, distracting garbage truck came by.  So here she is…gorgeous!

This was an awesome experience for my kids and myself.  I had never been to a butterfly garden and it was so magical!  We walked into this small greenhouse where there were over 500 butterflies fluttering about.  They would land on us and we could also lure them with a gotorade soaked q-tip.  Here’s a pic of a proud Charlie with his butterfly.

Waiting ever so patiently in the car for Daddy and Charlie…

I couldn’t believe that Charlie actually wanted to put this on. Last time I tried, he totally “wigged” out….oh, SNAP! Man, I am so lame…

Charlie at the park…he is one handsome little boy. I think he gets sick of me taking pictures of him all the time! Oh well, he’s just going to have to deal with it! He’ll thank me one day… (oh, and that’s Eric in the top left corner)

We took the kids to the park the other day…even though it was MISERABLY hot outside…and Scarlett got to go in a REAL swing for the first time. She LOVED it! Every time we go to a park, she is in awe of everything. She laughs at any big movement, like kids in swings, or a kid running by, etc. So here’s a quick shot I was able to get…

My husband, Eric, captured this special little bonding moment between Lola and Scarlett the other day. As much as my dog can really piss me off, I must say she is sooo great with the kids! Charlie can crawl over that poor dog and she just sits there or plays with him. Lola will take a lot of crap. I’ve come up with a few nicknames for her over the couple years we’ve had her: Lol-er, Little Lolita, Lol-a-roni, and Mr. Belvedere (it sounds SORT OF like “Mr. Velvet Ears” (I know, it’s pushin’ it. But it’s fun to say!)

Thank you Rachel!!!!!

Like this shirt? This is my good friend, Rachel’s, little store through cafepress. At Kustomized Kids you’ll find MANY designs and she’ll even take special orders if she doesn’t have what you’re looking for! Click here to order!

Yesterday evening was dragging along very slowly, so we decided to brave the heat and humidity of Florida by taking the kids out for a wagon ride. This was a first for Scarlett and she was more than content sitting in front of her big brother. She just stared at every little thing that we passed by, taking it all in. Charlie was also very good (until it was time to go back inside, of course) and didn’t mind that Scarlett was so close. He’s very good with her, but he’s a person who needs his space…usually he sort of flips his lid. I might even go as far to say that he actually enjoyed having her so close. Anywho, here is a photo of them together, enjoying the ride.

So yesterday Charlie surprised me by bustin’ out with some pretty cool dance moves. Usually he just kind of moves from side to side or jumps up and down….but yesterday he had much more rhythm and booty shakin’. Which, by the way, I have no idea where he gets this from because Eric and I DO NOT DANCE. I may do an occasional little jig in front of the kids only (I wouldn’t want to expose anyone else to this frightening display that I call dancing) but nothing like what he was doing. He even had names for each move he did. Let’s see, one was called the “Shose-e-ha”, where he would do a little shuffle to the side with his feet and point/shake his finger all about. Another was the “Hoo-ha-hoo”, and this one consisted of walking like a duck and shaking his butt. I was able to take a few pics through my laughter. Nothing great, but it still gives you an idea of his sweet moves. (This one was taken while he was dancing on the coffee table) Oh, and when Eric got home I had to show him Charlie’s new passion for dancing. This time he spotted his reflection in the glass doors to the fireplace and kept doing these big pointing gestures at himself while dancing. And to top it all off, he had the straightest face while doing all of this like he was really focused on what he was doing…it was priceless.