Sunday, June 28, 2009

Tyler is reading...almost...


Tyler can "read" his first book!! He has a book "Olivia's Opposites" (the character that has now turned into a show), and each page is a picture of Olivia depicting one set of opposites (up/down, long/short, quiet/loud, plain/fancy). He "reads" it to me and Kelsi at naptime, but tonight he read it to me before bed. He has each page memorized based on the pictures, and he even uses my sound effects for quiet/loud. He looks at me after he says each word, and I nod my head when he is correct. When he gets to the page for coming/going, he always says "coming" first. I then whisper "going". He shakes his head with a little giggle and HAS to close the book halfway (his finger holds his page) and then re-opens it before he can "read" it correctly! It cracks me up that he wants to start fresh before he can say the "right" word!
As Tyler climbed into bed tonight he was looking for his "Bainy"...the new little bear that he picked at a yard sale this weekend and paid for with his OWN money. He even asked the woman, "Excuse me, how much is this?". She said 25 cents and he responded, "Okay, I have that." He had two dollars. He named the bear Bainy (don't know why!)...So after we found Bainy he says, "Mama, I play caveman in my bed....I use my blankets as the cave but Bainy isn't allowed in because he is only 1 years old and he is a baby." I love when he shares his imaginative world with me...He does so much imaginative play during his quiet time/nap time...He has separated all of his animals into categories of water animals and not water animals, and then creates an "ocean" out of one of his blankets...Very creative and getting bigger and bigger by the day, mentally and physically!!

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Fill in the blanks...

FOR TODAY...June 24th, 2009

Outside my window...is rain, rain, rain....an irregular streak of rain (for weeks now).

I am thinking...about the editing that I should be doing right now, but I had really wanted to copy this post from Ali Edwards to document our "today".

I am thankful for...the two little sleeping munchkins that are upstairs.

From the kitchen...4 big containers of strawberry jam...I was finally able to make it when my computer was tied up last night while our friend Skip did some work on it.

I am wearing...pajama pants that I bought at American Eagle my FRESHMAN year of college (96-97), and a tank top.

I am creating...blog entries for my family and the wedding galleries for Jeff and Kate...also a new yellow dining room and pictures wall displays in my office.

I am going...to a yard sale at the scrapbooking store this weekend.

I am reading...magazines...my first Real Simple and my scrapbooking magazines that I still get (although I haven't been able to scrap in months!)...
I am hoping...that I find some childcare for the upcoming weeks so that I can get some work done.

I am hearing...Access Hollywood in the background as I type...and now Rudy BARKING at god knows what...I will kill him if he wakes the kids!!

Around the house...there are cans and trays of paint, TONS of scattered toys (including our water table full of moonsand) and the smell of Autumn Leaves candles from the clearance rack at Bath & Bodyworks.

One of my favorite things...is when Tyler and Kelsi kiss and hug me...I tell them that they are my favorite boys/girls in the whole wide world, and Tyler tells me that I am his favorite Mama in the whole wide world...totally cute and totally funny!

A few plans for the rest of the week...hopefully play outside tomorrow (supposed to be nice), a family session on Friday, yardsale on Saturday and the rest is up in the air!

Monday, June 22, 2009

It's been a while...



I have been SWAMPED with balancing my ever-growing photography business and continuing to be a full-time mom...I had once hoped for daily or at least weekly updates to what is going on with Tyler and Kelsi, and I haven't even found the time in months...It is always in the back of my mind, but I never get to it!! I am going to do a little catch up tonight (granted it is 11:10pm and I should be heading to bed!)....

May held a lot of fun things for us....Things that are so simple, but are so enjoyable .... Washing Mama's car during a warm day (May was warmer and sunnier than June is turning out to be!)...



They did a great job and like usual, Kelsi was the messiest...in this case the wettest!! When they were told the car was clean (they could have kept going!), they headed to the front steps...For the first time, I was able to photograph something that they like to do when we return from a playdate or from errands....

They head to the front door and I run in the side door...

They start knocking and banging for me to let them in, and then I pretend that they are just getting back...I ask them where they have been and if they had fun...They get a kick out of it!



This is a common site at our house these days....Tyler and Kelsi running out to the swingset...Sometimes they purposely race, "On your mark, get set, go", and other times, they just start running...


Within 30 seconds, this is what it looks like...Tyler still running and Kelsi getting tired...she ends up walking!


Memorial Day weekend, we headed out for ice cream after dinner...We went to the Ice Cream Machine...Tyler was so dead set on his current favorite ice cream, strawberry, that he passed up dinosaur crunch ice cream...I am sure that we will try it next time!


There is so much more that I want to say about what is going on now....Like how Tyler and Kelsi are really learning to play together more...How Tyler is constantly talking to her and trying to show her the "right" way to do things, how much more Kelsi is talking (she has MANY more words than Tyler did at this age), and how much "bigger" Tyler is getting not just in size, but in what he says...I HAVE to post more often!!