'Hoppy' Easter!

The day started out pouring and has been raining since. That's ok, we played in the rain in our new raincoat and rainboots! And of course, a new Ladybug umbrella.

It is hard to tell in this, but daddy is pointing out a puddle to splash in.

We then went next door for a grand Egg Hunt... the big kids were all outside, and the four toddlers hunted inside. Isabelle REALLY gets the idea of hunting for eggs and putting them in the basket. She tied for first place! :) That's my girl.

Then off to lunch with my parents. The Easter Bunny was there and unfortunately he scared Isabelle. Santa Clause, to her, is great... The bunny... not so much. But she looked so pretty in her new dress that we attempted a few photos... the whole while her attention was on the big bunny... making sure he stayed a descent distance away.

Balance on one foot - trick

If the week is good... I am going to try for a photo in her Easter dress again.

Spring Break Still

I know, there is a lot here... but like I said, we have accomplished a lot in these most wonderful days. I have done 2 of the three photo shoots already, played a lot, finished the back and planted our Christmas tree from this last Christmas.

Remember back in all the 'snowed-in' photos... and the tree that was frozen to the truck that was supposed to be our live in-door Christmas tree that never made it in? Well, now that the ground is no longer frozen, I went out to the area newly named the 'manicured forest' (yes, I have named different areas on teh property) and dug a really, REALLY big hole and planted the tree. Hopefully it isn't too late and the tree will survive. A 90 foot tree in that area would look amazing (in 30-50 years of course).

We needed a snack before the long walk. String cheese is a favorite!

There are still 4 more days of this break...

Art Time

A new fun time with Isabelle is play with play-doh. She loves to squish it and have me make balls so she can roll them out. She has an old wooden kitchen set that was mine that she uses for play-doh.

Daddy loves to sculpt in his spare time. (I know, what is spare time!) Anyways, the current center piece of our dinning room table is Eric's current sculpture. It has taken me a while to get 'used to' this sculpture, just there, staring at me as I enter the room... Now I can walk in and my heart only sometimes skips a beat, usually if it is facing directly at me.

I digress... the other night Isabelle really wanted to 'sculpt' with daddy, so we got out her play-doh and she had a blast. Art time with daddy was very fun, especially with the rollong pin. There are so many uses for them.


I do believe that I have rambled on enough for you to have to actaully scroll down to see the new center piece. It is actually really good, the detail is amazing and realistic. He is sooo talented!

'I am looking at you'

Don't worry Katie... Alien (as Isabelle calls it 'Lian') will be put away prior to the party... It will not be your center piece.

Goats

Have you forgotten that we have goats?? Though this winter has been a rough one, the goats survived (two weeks in the garage too when the snow was real bad) and now that the weather is great, out of their pen they come. They love to wander the yard, eatting all the yummy crunchy leaves on the ground (good) and the flowers and baby trees that we planted (bad). Isabelle love running aroudn with them too. Of course, I bet once you see the photos, you can guess when Isabelle no longer liked them.

And Puddle Jumping

Puddle See, Walk, Run and Splash.

... and peeking at horses through the fence.

And Pinecone picking

Bubbles

Yes, over this break the weather has been a dream, so besides all the major back yard work, we have played bubbles too. Isabelle is quite the bubble maker!

Isabelle's Help

Yes, you read correctly, Isabelle helped out the last few days with raking too!

Of course, raking got boring quickly, so other things like rocks and little hills became more fun.

Look over there. That way. Which way?

Where do I Begin??

Hahaha... Spring break has been so busy, but a lot has gotten done. (of course none of it school work - which I shoudl do some of before this break ends... but I do have WASL time to get caught up). The backyard is the biggest success! And Isabelle helped with her new rake and shovel. Mostly she just ran around on nice flat ground. But we are now level, tilled, raked (and I mean we raked the entire back yard, about an acre or so) and then picked up all the lines that were raked. We raked twice too. Had to get all the rocks, sticks, plastic, trash, washers, nails, rope, glass and whatever else there was out there. Yes, there is probably way more out there, so bare foot will never be an option... but playing and running is so SO close!

All we need now is that rain that predicted... the dark clouds mean that it is coming! So here's hoping that the rain comes in tonight (we don't want the birds eatting all the grass seed that we spread. (We meaning my neighbor mostly and me - when Isabelle was napping. You will see me in one photo later picking up the lines). "They" are prediciting snow too... Nooo!

Can you believe it... finally a back yard to play in!

Here are some before pics to remind you what we had to start with:

So all prior photos are from last July, last summer, of 2008. Yes, do the math, we have had a dirt back yard for almost a year. At least it was flat.

The following photos are from the last 3 days... :)

It is hard to see, but there are some lines there; kinda near the wheelbarrows.

In case you didn't see me... Do you see the stump on the left middle... just to the right and up a tad there is a black dot (wheelbarrow) and a green dot (me); then there is the shed and goat pen. Yes... all that was raked twice then picked up. Oh, there is more that I couldnt' get in the photo too... would need a panoramic lens for that.

Me... Leaping for joy... Actually, leaping cuz I can, knowing there are no holes to fall in. :)

Ta-DA

Now Rain! And Grow!!!

Uh-Oh

We are in trouble... Isabelle has figured out how to twist off caps. Examples of this include caps to the milk, and other juices, caps to toothpaste and any and all jars. I thought this came later in the years. I'm not ready for this mess...

April Fools!!

Happy April 1st everyone! Anyone had any good tricks played on them or played tricks on others?? I am keeping a book and would love to hear what you got. I will say that goats come in handy on this day. ;)

Anyways, nature is playing a trick on us... foiled our plans of outside sunny play and has decided to snow... again.

Other than that... I work two days this week and then have all next week off for Spring break... and that is no joke. During this time we are going to (hopefully) accomplish a lot. First will be to 'toddler' proof the house changing all the baby proofing since Isabelle is no longer a baby and has figured out how to get around all the baby proofing. We are going to design plans for an outside play gym/house/swingset thing for Isabelle so when the weather gets good enough to work outside, we can build it. (Buying one is ridiculously expensive!!! The cheapest we have found is $1200 and there are no swings). Again, if the weather permits, I am going to plant flowers and bulbs and other pretties in my gardens :) And if the weather is not good, as in still snowing then we are going to finish the play room downstairs for Isabelle. It is all framed up with a sweet little doorway to get in (and yes it is little-you MUST duck). All that is left to frame is the loft area and then on to drywall and painting! So by mid summer it should be complete... ha ha ha

Oh, this is a treat!!! It is a NEW 'Go Diego Go'!! You can now believe how exciting this is!!! I must go cuddle my baby and enjoy the new show.

Till I post again!

Fun with Photoshop

Jadon in his very own comic book.

Getting Jobs

Yeah for me... And more YEAH! for those hiring me for photography sittings. April is filling up with Easter family pics and going to the Tulip farms. These trips are going to be fun!!! I am hoping for lots more opportunities as the weather improves. :)

Also, last Friday I was hired to do the HS track team... and since then (yes 3 days later) have been hired for HS tennis team and MS track team pics. It is a ton of work, especially the individual shots... but it is fun!

Apple Bars and Monkey Juice

Isabelle is full of cuteness, from her smiling and saying 'cheeese' when the camera comes out to all the cute phrases she now says. Of course, as predicted, the two's are here with the tantrums when she doesn't get her way. However, we have only really had one long tantrum, all the rest end fairly quickly. We have also started the pull-ups in hopes that potty training will come easier. Unfortunatly as soon as we started them, she got sick and back to diapers we went. Nasty 'bug' going around... has the whole extended family sick too. :(

So from the mouth of a babe...

monkey juice - is any juice that comes in her monkey cup

apple bars - her favorite treat

i-peem - ice cream

blboobies - blue berries

elepemints (at least that is how it sounds) - elephant of course this has a hand motion that goes with it

piping - typing

pip - anything that ends in 'ip' like chip, dip, lip, sip, etc

waptop - laptop

puter- computer

fix it mommy - self explanatory

blow nose - now that she is sick :(

New Favorite things to do -

feed the goats

splash in puddles or throw rocks into the puddles

walk and /or run everywhere

clean up

play with play-do

make messes and says 'make a mess' while doing it

Spinning in circles and making herself dizzy... i do need to get that on video, it is funny!

Diego is her favorite show and now that she has seen them all, MANY times she is quoting parts and narrating what is happening... baby Jaguar, hat on, ducking, running, etc. She has also started singing the 'Go Diego Go' part of the theme song. It is sooo cute.

Of course too, with her daddy being into computers, he has given her her own log in... granted she cannot log in herself, BUT with her own log in, she is now unable to deleted and mess up the computer. The reason daddy gave her a log in in the first place was because she was hitting buttons in sequences that were bringing up things that he (a computer guy) has never seen. So in her log in, daddy has made it so the only thing she can access is the internet (like the Diego site or her favorite one, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse - Meeska Mooska MickeyMouse!) and the desktop.