How Boys Play

While the girls were napping I snapped this shot of my son quietly playing with some of his favorite toys....army men. He had them all over the living room and kitchen, hiding in every corner, crack, and crevice. I'm not entirely sure but I think they were plotting an attack! Looks like these three little speckled men were the unlucky targets! Doesn't seem like a fair fight to me.


"Give up...You're surrounded!"

Anatomy of a Photo Session

Any parent who has ever tried to photograph their own children knows that it can be a daunting, frustrating task. I got to experience that frustration firsthand this afternoon when I attempted to do a photo session of my 15mos old. I got the set ready, adjusted my camera settings, dressed Ella, and placed her on the backdrop. She sat for all of a half second before she was off!


Here she is crawling away from the set. She was not going to cooperate AT ALL! Apparently she had better things to do than sit and look pretty!


I tried to bribe her with cookies in hopes that she might sit still...


When that didn't work I decided to stick her in her bumbo seat. Now the whole thing looked silly!


The cookie bribery just managed to make her want more cookies and she would not stop reaching for them.


When I told her no she immediately got mad and then proceded to pitch a fit. That's when I knew the session was over.


I went through the few photos I had taken and selected the best one. Notice how the makeshift flower hairbow is falling out (she kept tugging at it) and how silly the bumbo seat looks with the tutu sticking out.


I knew it was time to cut my losses so I cropped it in close and called it a day! I didn't get the shots I was after but I managed to get a beautiful close-up my little girl.

Evening Light

I happened to drive by a field with bales of hay a few evenings ago and fell in love with the beautiful light coming over the distant trees. I pulled my car over, and snapped a few shots of Halle next to one of the bales of hay. She had just finished swimming and was wearing play clothes so it's not the shot I'd envisioned. I can't wait to go back to that spot again and capture that beautiful amber light!

The Perks of Summer: Apple Picking

Last week when we were frequenting our new favorite fast-food joint we noticed an apple tree on their lawn! It was full of apples, ripe and ready for picking, so today before we grabbed dinner at that same place we stopped by the tree for a quick apple picking session! The sun was really harsh so I didn't get any great photos but here are a few that weren't too awful. The kids loved pulling them from the tree and Ella repeatedly tried to eat the rotten ones off the ground. We grabbed enough to last us a few days and I'm sure we'll go back to pick more soon! Just another reason to love summer!

Whimsical Apron Winner

I know, I know. This is waaaaay past due but better late than never right?! The winner of my apron giveaway is......#42 Tylerpants! Congrats on your win! Please contact me with your info so I can get your beautiful prize out to you! Thanks to all who entered! More giveaways to come!

The Perks of Summer: Sprinkler Fun!

Today my parents & I took the kids up to the neighborhood playground to let off some steam. About five minutes after we arrived the sprinkler system turned on and the kids begged to ditch the playground and run through the water instead. I consented and what followed was pure summertime fun! Unfortunately I didn't have my camera on hand so I made a quick run to the house to retrieve it. I just couldn't bear the thought of not getting to capture such joyful moments of my children being children! Here are my favorites! I hope you all are taking full advantage of summer as well!








Ella was the only one who didn't enjoy getting wet! She was mad at me b/c I wouldn't carry her while I was taking pictures. I eventually picked her up and made her happy!

Look....

...what we found in our house today! A lizard. Not the exact lizard in the photo but something like it. Now, growing up in Miami I am used to lizards. They were a very common occurance. In fact, I often would catch them and keep them as pets when I was little. I remember one in particular that I named Samantha. We even had those large beautiful green iguanas roaming our backyard on occasion....the ones that people often buy in pet stores. However, in NC we don't see lizards very often...maybe in the coastal areas but not so much in the Piedmont area and definitely not running through our homes.



Well, that's what happened this afternoon. My kids saw a lizard running through one of their bedrooms and then underneath a bed. I tried to catch it but it escaped into the wall via a crack in the corner of the room where a small space was open between the baseboard and floor (it was an itty bitty lizard). Honestly, it doesn't really bother me. I like lizards. I would rather have ten lizards in my house than one spider. My husband on the other hand did not like the idea that a lizard was in our walls and might return. He immediately went for the pesticide. I didn't want him to kill the lizard so I convinced him to not spray directly into the crevice and instead he sprayed a little around it. I really hope the lizard doesn't die and that I can eventually catch it and safely return it outdoors. Am I crazy? What's the harm in a tiny non-poisonous lizard?

i ♥ faces: Feet Week

This week the theme over at i ♥ faces is "feet"! I haven't entered a photo in any of the last few challenges and since I had this photo on hand I thought I'd enter it since it fit the theme. This photo was taken with a p&s camera earlier this year before I got my dSLR. I think it came out great anyway! I love how Ella's toes are peeking out from underneath her tutu! How sweet! To see more great "feet" photos visit i ♥ faces!

Pediped Shoe Review

Looking for the perfect pair of shoes for your little one? Look no further! Pediped is your answer! Founded in February 2005 by Angela and Brian Edgeworth Pediped is one of the fastest growing children's footwear brands in the U.S. Exceptional quality, unsurpassed comfort and distinctive styling are what make pediped™ unique in the children's shoe industry.

Why choose Pediped? First of all, Pediped is officially recognized by the American Podiatric Medical Association as contributing to better foot health. Pediped™ footwear is a smart choice for parents concerned with the long‐term development of their children's feet. Pediped™ has been awarded the prestigious APMA Seal of Acceptance for both its Originals ™ and Flex ™ lines in support of their many beneficial attributes that promote quality foot health including soft cushioned leather soles, a wide toe box and soft leather uppers.

Not only are Pedipeds "the next best thing to bare feet" but with over 45 fashion‐forward styles to choose from Pediped™ footwear is sure to compliment any look. Designs include: all occasion Mary Janes, patent holiday shoes, traditional penny loafers, breezy sandals and ultra‐cool athletic shoes. You are sure to find the perfect shoe for any look and any occasion!

Pediped graciously sent me a pair of the Grace shoes from their Originals line for me to review. I LOVE these shoes!!


First of all, I love how fun and stylish these shoes are! With so many styles to choose from it's easy to find a pair that is perfect for your little girl or boy!! Pediped has a large selection for both.

Secondly, since Ella is a new walker it was important that the shoes bend with her foot. These shoes are perfect. The leather bottoms are sturdy enough for her to walk on outside surfaces but they still bend to allow her feet to move naturally. She can also easily walk on indoor surfaces like wood and tile without slipping. She has had no problems getting around with these shoes!

Another great feature is the velcro closure that makes these shoes quick and easy to put on or take off. My kids tend to have chubby feet and these shoes easily fit with room to grow. These shoes are well made and sturdy and will outlast the length of time your child will need them.


The Pediped Originals line typically run $32 a pair. Currently there are many pairs available for $19 like the Caroline in Pink or the Liam in chocolate brown/baby blue! Also, coming soon is the Pediped Fall/Winter 2009 line!! This newest line will be available in August so be sure to check em' out!!

Fun at Disney World: Day 7

On our final day at Disney we visited the Magic Kingdom again. This was by far our favorite park! There is just so much to see and do and we simply couldn't get enough! We rode EVERYTHING! On our final day Halle got to meet Ariel! During the course of our trip she met Cinderella, Belle, Sleeping Beauty, Tinkerbell, Iridessa, Rosetta (Tinkerbell's fairy friends), Pocahontas, Ariel and Mickey Mouse. Mickey was the only non-human character that she was willing to meet. Hayden didn't want to meet any characters but on our last day he did get to meet the one and only Captain Jack Sparrow. We met him after riding Pirates of the Caribbean for the 2nd time. He makes appearances on the street every so often and we were lucky to meet him and Hayden finally agreed to assist him w/ his street performance. This guy was exactly like Johnny Depp's character...from his looks, voice, mannerisms, attitude, EVERYTHING...it was uncanny how identical he was! It was awesome! I LOVE the movies so seeing him perform was really fun for me too!





Halle and Ariel! She loved meeting all the princesses! Mommy loved it too!



Hayden getting soaked in Ariel's Grotto! They loved this soft play area with shooting streams of water!



Me and Buzz!


On Donald Duck's boat in ToonTown!


On our final evening we visited Downtown Disney! The kids LOVED the huge wall of Legos in the Lego store! The each got to fill their own bucket from the large selection!

Fun at Disney World: Day 6

Hello again! Today we spent another fun day over at Disney's Animal Kingdom! We went on a cool African safari where we saw lots of animals and we watched a few fun shows including "Festival of the Lion King" and "It's Tough to be a Bug"! They were great but I have to say that "Finding Nemo- the musical" was the best of the Animal Kingdom shows! We LOVED that one!

After the shows we headed back to the resort to relax for a bit and then we went for an evening swim in the pool. This has truly been the most fun we've had in a long time. We have thoroughly enjoyed our Disney vacation and have already talked about coming again next year b/c we've had the most incredible time!


What are YOU lookin' at?!


Can you see the giraffe? He was hiding but poked his head out when we rode by.


The incredible headless (sleeping) flamingos!


One lazy lion...can you believe he didn't even have the courtesy to look at us as we rode by?! Geeze.


The kids posing with a rhino in Rafiki's Planet Watch, a place where you learn about conservation and get a behind-the-scenes look at how Disney cares for it's animals.


Halle meets Pocahontas and they share hugs and small talk.


Halle pets a snake.


I get a hug from Rafiki...I was actually trying to convince the kids to pose for a picture with him too but neither one was buying it. Oh well.