Friends, Old and New

So I've been a part of an online community for about 3 years. We all have babies who were due May 2007. Every so often one of the moms from the community comes to my area and we get to meet up. It's so fun seeing and talking to these moms I've known for years, and then watching our kids interact for the first time. It really is amazing.

LilacKM and her cuties came to my area this week and we met up at the zoo. What a blast! It took no time for our kids to become old friends.

 

Just a Pic 2

Baby and I were playing with the hair things tonight. No reason for this, just cuteness.

Happy Anniversary Mr. Bear

5 Years ago today I married a wonderful man. It hasn't always been easy and even today I wasn't sure there was much of a relationship to celebrate, but we did and I'm so glad. Neither one of us are perfect, but we're both working on being better to and for each other.

We have this random tradition that started on our first anniversary. Every year we get a Chocolate Chip Calzone from Claim Jumper. So yummy and I'm so glad we keep it up!

I love you Daddy Bear!

Promise

This rainbow showed up at Angel's school this morning. It was so welcome after the horrible storms yesterday. The immediately started raining again, but today wasn't as bad as yesterday.

A Girl and Her Bear

Pinky is NOT a morning person. I guarantee she'll be a coffee drinker before she hits high school. A.M. is not her favorite time of day at all.

So she has Pooh Bear. This particular Pooh Bear was a birthday gift from Wonder Mom and her Super Kiddos. It's fuzzie and stuffed just right and a perfect companion for waking up on those nasty mornings that insist on coming back.

Of course, the camera comes out and she's all smiles. The ham! Wonder where she gets that from?

Yummy!

Baby is taking on solids with the strong will that is ever-present in all my Bambinos. Today, she grabbed a hold of Pinky's apple and wouldn't let go!

Gotcha!

Baby didn't sleep well last night. Here's a nice shot from my camera phone of her pretending to sleep.

She still looks all cute and cuddly despite keeping me up all night.

Cupcakes

I made cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies today for a Scout meeting, hoping to bring in some extra funds to boost the program a bit. That part wasn't too successful but the snacks went over well.

 

I needed a table cloth and a mid-level decoration... Next month will be better... It's a Birthday Party!!

Just a Pic

This might simply be my favorite pic ever of Pebbles.

The Morning Routine

Pinky loves to do what Mommy does so it was no surprise to see her with my make-up sponge this morning and it was easy to catch this on my phone camera.

Trash or Treasure

We'll soon find out.

I'm on the committee for our Scout District Dinner and I've been tasked with making the centerpieces. This is my first sketch of the first idea that popped in my head. I'm sure I'll have more, there's a few floating around in there, none as cheap or as tacky as "the way it's been done".

Please feel free to leave your remarks on the idea as well as the photo.

Go See It

Cub Scouts call a field trip a "Go See It" and today my Den went to Centennial Heritage Museum. I was, unfortunately, an hour late and half an hour before the museum closed. My calendar was off and I'm not sure how it happened but it will not happen again, I'm determined to triple check everything now.
The museum was nice, what we saw of it. There's a small schoolroom, a dress up room for the kids to play in, a bathroom, kitchen, laundry set-up outside, a blacksmith shop, a hiking trail, and other fun sights. I plan on taking The Bambinos back during the summer so we can see all of it.

Pebbles tried on the dress-up.

The Angel and Pebbles enjoyed walking around.

And then there was this treasure. My grandmother had one just like it. I remember spending a lot of time playing on the lower pedal with my cousins. She never used it so far as I remember, but it was always there, always ready it seemed. I've always wondered what happened to it.

What is it?

Better yet... what could it be?

I've been working with these two skeins of yarn on and off for a few weeks trying to get the right project going. They're a little resistant to my efforts. They really could be anything; hats, scarves, blankets, mittens, socks.... the options are almost limitless. Except that I really can only maybe get a decent looking beanie or a halfway decent scarf or a small shawl. So in the hands of a semi-trained person, the options diminish. If I were to receive more instruction and open myself up to learning more about yarn craft, the potential for these unrealized mediums opens back up immeasurably.

What is your potential? What else can you learn? What can you help others learn? How can you help others grow and grow yourself along the way?

Shoes

If there's one thing that's totally upside down and inside out about my life it's feeling comfortable in shoes! See, I'm a flip flop chick. But for my Scout meetings I have to wear a uniform and with my uniform I have to wear my sneakers. I kicked and screamed and fought so hard, just ask Daddy Bear. I did.not.want.sneakers. But now I look forward to pulling on that uniform and tying up my kicks about once a week for one meeting or the other.

It's nice to know that I'm making a change in the lives of a few kids, one hour at a time, as well as a change in my life.

Reflection

Another busy day kept me away from my camera until I realized I hadn't taken a picture. So today's theme was "Reflection". Most take that as a self-portrait taken in a mirror and being as tired as I was I didn't put any more thought into it. 

And then, being the good Disney-phile that I am, the song "Reflections" from Mulan came to mind without me having to even try. 

Who is that girl I see
Staring straight
Back at me?
Why is my reflection someone
I don't know?
Somehow I cannot hide
Who I am
Though I've tried
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?

And so here I am reflecting on that. I don't know who that is I see in the mirror these 

days. It's not the person I think it should be or the person I feel like most days. I don't 

know that those images will ever line up again. 

Purple

The kids have these two big storage totes full of stuffed animals and baby dolls.

Cabbage Patch dolls that randomly have the same names as their "godparents". Pound Puppies. A sock monkey. Baby dolls in various stages of dress. New gifts. Hand-me-downs. Heirlooms. An alien in hiding.

See the pink unicorn? His name is MorningStar. He's been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.

See the pink feet of a bunny there on the left. He's harmless. Until you get to the teeth.

"I *warned* you, but did you listen to me? Oh, no, you *knew*, didn't you? Oh, it's just a harmless little *bunny*, isn't it?"

Name that movie. Same bunny.

 

Kids These Days

The Challenge theme today was "Kids These Days". It just so happened that my kids cooperated without knowing how well they were working in with my master plan to go crazy by saying "yes" to just one more thing!!

Today the girls and Nana and I cleaned the kitchen. I think the girls and Nana may have done more cleaning than me, but every job needs a good supervisor, right? Who else is going to make the crucial decision of whether or not to throw out the expired can of asparagus?

As it turns out, the girls LOVE to clean. To the point at which Pebbles perceived the order to stop cleaning and go out to play as some form of punishment.

Here's Pinky hard at work on one of the lower, just-her-size, cabinets.

Eventually Angel was home, naps were had, and the thoughts of blissfully cleaning the evening went away and they were back to being normal kids.

Yeah, I remember playing high-skilled computer games based on my favorite television shows when I was in preschool! What you don't?

But yeah, this is what the Bambinos do, in moderation, at the end of their day.

Right after riding bikes and playing in the sun and writing books and taking over the world and cleaning cabinets.

The New Morning

The Bambinos woke up screaming excitedly this morning. I was sure it was due to Sis' dog suddenly and unexpectedly being on our patio so we started a discussion on Jager and sleeping dogs. They looked at me like I had two heads! Jager was curled up in a corner of the patio and they couldn't even see him.

Instead they were fascinated by something so much more spectacular.

I wish I had something profound and eloquent to say about this sunrise. A new morning, new chances, new beginnings and all that. The clouds, seemingly on fire, reflecting my passion for... oh bother, I don't know.

Angel went back to school today. He's excited. I miss him.

The girls and I started home-preschool all over again. Several on again, off again attempts along the way but I'm determined to make it work this time. Pebbles starts kindergarten in the fall and while she's brilliant, she still has some skills to catch up on.

The new year, like the new day, the new hour, the new minute, brings fresh promises, different challenges, and a renewed hope for what may come next!

A Pair...

... of Braids. ...of headaches, mine and hers. :( ...of strong wills; hers and mine!

I'm bound and determined to figure out this french braid thing. I think it looks so nice when the girls' hair is out of their faces and they can see and do and be without distraction. The last time I attempted to french braid Pebbles' hair was almost a year ago. And two days later was The Infamous Haircut!

I think I'll be putting up all the scissors for a few days.

She likes having her hair braided. She just doesn't like when I'm braiding her hair. Love that 4-year-old logic!

Snack Time!

Okay, there's a lot I don't like about this picture: my camera bag on the couch, the glaring yellow chair, my fast food cup back there, the fact that despite being just shampooed my carpet still looks dirty... but then there's Baby in all her determination taking apart that poor, unsuspecting tortilla and I can't say no to that pic at all!

Happy New Year!!!

From all of us to all of you, may 2010 be everything you hope and dream for it to be. <3

A New Year's Challenge

I've joined in on a challenge to blog more, photograph better, and record a year in our lives through photography so here's our family picture blog. I hope you enjoy it!