Feed the Birds

Lady G had another big girl discussion with me... seems we need more family time. Other families get to go do things, other families spend more time hanging out.. doing STUFF... So we went to the zoo on Sunday. It was 106* but we went.. and boy did we sweat!!! The whole gang went.... and our tradition is that each kiddo gets to pick an animal and we see that one for sure. Any other animals are a bonus and we can enjoy them but they are not the main attraction for that day. Lady G wanted to see the snakes so we went in and the girls journaled about them. We got into that habit last summer while I was trying to get them to see more details in things and boy do they!!! Queen V drew the scales and patterns of different ones- wow! I didn't have the lens that would let in enough light for that dark building so we just hung out as Mr. T shreiked at every corner about how cool each frog, snake and lizard was!!! so fun!
Queen V wanted to see birds and feed them. We saw birds we had never seen before! I had no idea of some of them because they are either higher in the trees or not there for some reason. The main bids Queen V wanted to see were the ones you feed... Since Mom gave us season passes for Christmas paying a buck for feeding the birds is easy!!! Each kiddo got a stick with birdseed on them and stayed VERY STILL waiting for a dash of color to sit quietly... even Mr. T!!!! Princess A slept through all of this... it was just too hot...

Birthday Girl!

2 years old.
we just found out #2 was on the way... Lady G got to tell Daddy she was going to be a big sister!! lol!

at 3 Lady G started going to The Daddy Store and having just time with Daddy... they made all sorts of things.. including this bookend!

Lady G turned 9!!!

How on earth did we get to this age??? Just yesterday I sat boohooing over a sweet hankerchief that Grandee turned into a bonnet for her Baptism and with a cut of 2 strings back into a hankerchief for her wedding day...

and now she is into fashion, giggling without control, dogs, swimming and American Girl Dolls.

Her favorite color is green.. and that is all my favorite things (so she wants me to write in the blog).. and Elise is her best friend... still... 5 years into school and they love being together!! It's all good...

well, except that there has not been a party yet... seems a skunk has taken residence under Mom's deck... so far we have fed the skunk but not captured it... but we have captured someone's turtle and an oppossum. Oh well... we will have parties for our kids but never when we intend on them.. go figure... it's just one more thing...

She had a great birthday though, she has gone shopping, got a key to the front door, a cool pink hat with sequins, a new Webkinz and Carissa... the newest American Girl Doll.... yep... it was all good! She asked for an icecream cake - so easy to make and she love them! whohooo! No staying up till 2am decorating the cake... but we did have streamers everywhere, lipstick notes on her mirror, 25 balloons and presents to open...

stay tuned... she is going to be published!!! yes, Duchess Bobbe (you got your own name, Bobbe!!) sent her a book so she can be published... how exciting... What a great way to spend 100+* afternoons while the little guys take naps :)

Rockledge Park

so we aren't going anywhere for vacation just yet so we will instead visit all the parks in the area... getting our tax dollars to work for us as we take a weekly adventure to a new park..
this week's park was Rockledge Park. I heard about it via another photographer... it was not anything I knew about except another place to launch a windsurfer when I was in highschool...
It was so hot this day- probably too hot for most people but we were going to go as an entire family and not just me and the kids.. my sweetie was going to escort us... fun for him to see the kids in a new environment and good for me I didn't have to chase all of them at once.. an extra pair of eyes is a great thing!!!
Here are some random pics of our adventure this day..

an a-ha moment

For all my friends who received my crazed email with my a-ha photography moment Here is on of the pics from the series I took the day the math finally kicked in for me... my parents should be so proud! lol! all that money towards education and geometry is finally understood as something useful! lol!!

sunset snuggles

Mom came over for a sunset dinner with us tonight..
We had chicken (cooked in the crockpot), rice (not as good as Mom's), steamed broccoli, fresh pineapple, and fresh apple pie made by yours truly... (should have gotten a pic of that but we were too interested in eating hot apple pie!!)
but at the end of it all I dropped Princess A into her grandmother's lap and snapped a few.... after she grabbed her arm.. notice the napkin Mom is holding on her arm??? yep, Princess A got a good hold and didn't want to let go....
Anyway, she obliged me using the best evening light.... love that time of day whenthings are winding down here.
And we need them to wind down... it has been a hectic winter with flu on 3 out of 4 kids... and 2 of them got it twice... 5 ear infections... allergies.... birthdays... celebrating Mom turning 75!! and so many more things.... whew! Where does time go? anyway, sunset nd taking pics... the best... it lets me take a deep breath and just paint... I love it.

things kids say...

snakes only have names if they are adopted... according to Queen V
I miss you (also in Mr. T language means I love you)


makes sense, huh?

this is perfect

just love how Daddy jumped in and joined in on St. Patty's Day. I usually fix corned beef and cabbage but my sister did a few days before. Since I am pretty much the only one in the family who enjoys that meal I could not give it to my family 2 nights in one week...
so instead we had clean out the fridge night and I got to play with Princess A and my camera during sunset...

my 4 kiddos and I went to the park today.. we climbed, checked out some koi, hada picnic, played grumpy old troll.. it was a good day for sure!

quote on photo w/ my sweetie is a freebie from http://jodiemcnally.com/

how fast she grows up!

4 years old
5 years old

As we ate our Cheerios together out little conversation went like this:
Mommy: so tell me, what is 6 going to be like?
Queen V:you can draw and color all day
you get to do math... every day
you get to learn to ride a horse

yep, 6 (a girl number according to Queen V) will be a good year!

Last Day Being 5

one year ago today I could not believe Queen V was going to turn 5... and here I sit not believing she will be 6!!! In 9 hours my little sprite will be 6!
She has brought me such joy...
She makes me remember to smile...
She gives love unconditionally... even when we are so frustrated with each other...
She reminds me to take a second look at things
She makes me proud...
She is beautiful...
I love my little girl...

Today she made me a card (I will post later)
she made me a card..
I had to write it again
It's the selfless things she does when you least expect
I ask her to do a million things
and her head is always in the clouds
I sometimes have to plead with her to come down
sometimes have to yell for her to come back (LOL)
and when she does
she does the most remarkable things
like making me a card
on the last day she is 5
It's a keeper with the coloring, drawing and spelling...
What an angel sent to me

2 of my angels

Lady G and Princess A

two of the sweetest easy going kiddos I know...

oh, how I love my kids!



what am I grateful for today...
finding out Princess A does not have flu again.... just ear infections
watching Lady G in a play she created with friends and it is so.... CREATIVE! She has a competition with it on Saturday and I can't wait to see it again!!
Mr. T taking a nap and trying to help clean up the lemonade he spilled in the kitchen.
Queen V for skipping into school- gotta love a kid who is genuinely happy to go to school!
Mom for babysitting so Mr. T didn't have to go into an infected doc's office.
My Prince.. for offering to pick up dinner when he found out I had another migraine.

real mothers

so it's been a little rough here lately..
since the beginning of this year I had the flu (got it on January 1.... great way to start the new year), Queen V has had the flu... twice! and Princess A had the flu with double ear infections.
We have quarantined those with the flu and I am about to take Polly Pocket for a dip in the clorox.... just in case there are germs there to share!!!
As I sit in my pity party and gritch and moan about how crazy life has been with laundry in almost every room mocking me as I go by thinking I have *got* to get this under control and explain to my Prince that I can't figure out where my time is going because it hasn't been on photoshop or photography or scrapbooking....
he laughs and tells me it was where I was right then..
rocking a baby
Even my facebook page says at the top... Anne Marie is rocking a baby.
It has been like this for some time... unless it states that Mr. T is in time out... again
and in all fairness it has not always been his fault. How would you like it if you were couped up while everyone else around you has been sick??? poor fella. He just wants time to "fing" (swing) as he calls it.... and show me how much of a super hero he is!!! with or without a cape...
So if you see me and my hair is a mess, pulled back in a pony tail
I have yesterday's makeup on
I'm in the same warm up suit that has just about become my uniform as of late
I am rushing around at the last minute for who knows what
just remember...
I am a mama...
rocking her babies as they fall sick, scrape a knee, need to practice reading outloud, spell the latest words for Thursday's quiz...

Jeff's grandma sent me this email tonight... It couldn't have come at a better time... that woman has great timing... I am so happy I know her and am on her email list :)

MOTHERS

Real Mothers don't eat quiche;
they don't have time to make it.

Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils
are probably in the sandbox.

Real Mothers often have sticky floors,
filthy ovens and happy kids.

Real Mothers know that dried play dough
doesn't come out of carpets.

Real Mothers don't want to know what
the vacuum just sucked up.

Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?'
and get their answer when a littlevoice says,

'Because I love you best.'

Real Mothers know that a child's growth
is not measured by height or years or grade...
It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother...

Merry Christmas!

presents are wrapped
tucked under the tree
family asleep
now where can he be?
Santa slipped in
without even a trace
true Christmas story
of the ultimate gift
shared and recieved

naughty or nice

today is the big day!!
We're going to see the Big Man tonight...
I hear he is at the mall waiting to see all of his faithful followers
the believers
I believe
how could anyone not??
We still have yet to put up our tree...
I made space for it today.
Our deal with Santa is if we get the tree up with lights he will decorate it for us.
We leave all the trimmings out for him along with fresh cookies from the oven and some homemade candies.
He has never let us down.
He did the same for me when I was a little girl... what a great guy!!
So today I will tackle making homemade butterfingers!!!
This is proof he came last year... I set the timer on my camera and got a pic of him nibbling some cookies the kids left out...

the mom song

where have I been?
laundry
supervising school projects
making cookies
changing diapers
enjoying a few migrains...not...
helping the kids find Christmas joy :)

sandbox time

I came outside to get some fresh air for all of us.... hoping naptime would go a little smoother!!

I also brought my camera (go figure) to practice using "fill flash"

I hope to get an external flash to use in low lit indoor sessions in the future... so I can learn to bounce the light when I can't use manual settings without so much noise.

Mr. T had a great time throwing sand without anyone telling him to stop.

Christmas Specials

I am such a sucker for Christmas specials on tv with my kids. I seem to be taken back to my own childhood, waiting for anticipation of holidays, family, presents... love that!

So even though Polar Express was not one I watched as a child it is one I have found to love now... sharing with my kids... watching their eyes dart around the screen, listening to the words of believe, spirit, magic, Christmas...

love that.

so Mom calls me...

hurry! get the kids outside

look up!!

this is the only time for the next 50something years for this to happen!!

Mercury and Venus this close to the Moon!!

I *had* to get a shot of this momentous occasion. It was freezing outside- brrr!

read to me

it doesn't matter what you read

just read

sing it to me

hang out with me

just read

to me

Give Thanks

We have a lot to be Thankful for...

for family
for friends
for a safe birth
for husband's job
for healthy children
for clothes on our backs
for food in the cupboard
for a roof over our heads
for unconditional love from God