Catching Up

Somehow three weeks have past since my last post.  So today I will play catch up by posting some photos I've taken during our March. Most of them are self-explanatory.

Charlie and I have started playing a lot of Mario Kart together.  I'm actually getting quite good :)

I finally dug out this professional backdrop that I purchased from a retiring photographer nearly a year ago.

I plan to use it for First Communion photos and Kindergarten Graduation photos.  Luckily I had two great models to help me with marketing materials.

It's nice having a backdrop and lights already set up.  For some reason, this seems to attract my little ones.

My mom turned 60 this month.  She wanted cash for her upcoming pilgrimage to Lourdes with my sister, so we devised a creative way to give it to her.  We played "How Well Do You Know Your Family?" For every answer she got correct, she chose an envelope with some sort of bill inside.

The girls loved taking turns reading them to her.

Meanwhile, the little girls found something they could share.

You will notice lots of photos with ipads in them.   

 Playing with the macro lens that I rented.

This photo is deceiving. We definitely have not reached the lamb days of March yet.  But I bought this dress in anticipation of such days.  This was also taken with the rented lens.  Me likey :)

Green icing for St. Patrick's Day.

We had a St. Patrick's Day parade after dinner followed by some Irish dancing.

Morgan had an Easter egg hunt at school.  She was a little slow to catch on.


But she figured it out.


Look at her walking on her toes.










Charlie had Wacky Wednesday at school.


He even stuck his sticker on the back of his backwards shirt.


For as much as Charlie loves electronics, Taylor loves books.  It makes me so happy to see her engrossed in a book.  Reminds me so much of me when I was her age.






More toe action.


The kids went to a birthday party with a rock star theme.  Here they are learning a dance to Firework.








More reading.  And yes, that is they same pettiskirt that her 2 year old sister fits into.




Morgan got a book in the mail from her grandma and grandpa. She LOVES it.


The kids had Grandparents' Day at school this week.




I finally dug out my Easter boxes yesterday because Taylor was requesting some Easter books.


The kids have one more day of school before their Spring Break finally arrives.  Here's hoping Mother Nature gets with the program and finally delivers some warm weather!

Finally, a snow day!

I'm not really sure where to start this post, so I'll start with photos.  I wrapped up my photography workshop last week, but I'm still working on applying all that I've learned.



Taylor is quite the big sister even if she's only slightly bigger ;)




She has taken to sleeping on the floor beside her bed.  It reminded of me of the bed tent I used to have as a kid. It was a red tent with elastic straps that fit over each corner of my mattress.  I remember how much I loved the way it transformed my ordinary sleeping habitat into something new, something special, something cozy.  I image that is what Taylor feels.


Even Mark cannot escape my camera.


This is becoming somewhat of a common scene around here.


So is this.


This one made me smile.  Morgan and I frequently use the hour between her mommy and me class and the time I need to pick Charlie up from preschool to go grocery shopping.  This week, after pulling into Charlie's preschool, I turned around to find her, as happy as could be, helping herself to an english muffin.


Charlie's grandparents (my dad and stepmom) bought him a new subscription to Thomas Magazine.  We made these little signs from one of the pages.  It prompted him to actually drag out his trains and track and play with them.




I bet it made Thomas very happy.


Morgan and Charlie have also been spending more time together lately.

Charlie and Mark had a Dad's night at his preschool so Taylor decided that it was the perfect opportunity to have a spa night.  Or as she calls it "spall night."




The following day was the kids' first snow day in two years.  Somehow I managed to find snowpants, boots, and gloves for everyone.


It was Morgan's first time playing in the snow.  Her face tells it all.




It was also my first time getting correct white balance in camera in the snow.


Taylor wanted to make a snowman so I left her in charge of rolling the balls.


Charlie spent much of the time pouting, although he did cheer up when I brought out a soccer ball for him to kick.


Morgan enjoyed eating the snow.


The other kids enjoyed that as well.


Alas, I have decided that I am just not good at making snowmen.  Despite my best efforts, they always end up being 2 feet tall.  Then we drive around the neighborhood and see snowmen that would dwarf ours.  Oh well, the kids never seem to mind.








We finished our playing by enjoying some hot chocolate, complete with marshmallows.






That snow day was exactly what the doctor ordered.  I had been hoping for one more big snow before spring hits.  And honestly, I felt like the kids needed to experience the joy of an unexpected day off from school.  So thanks, Mother Nature.  And let me also thank you for the 60 degree whether due this weekend!