Animal Lover ♥

Please note:  No animals were harmed during the taking of these photos.

Please also note:  Holmes DID have the option to just get up and walk away. 

It was HIS choice to become the object of her affection.

Random Things That Make Me Smile

The rain is back, as I was certain it would be.  It feels more Spring-like this time.  Cold, but not freezing.  Breezy, but not gusty.  The almond blossoms are being knocked to the ground and the bees are certainly hiding. 

Days like this require artificial sunshine,

brought to you by the following random things that make me smile.

Obviously, she makes me smile.

Well, most of the time.

Like when she looks like this.

And this.

What exactly is she doing here?

Would you believe she posed herself like this?

Well, she did.

Is that a sign she gets her picture taken too often?

A cocoon!

I haven't seen one in years.

 I found this one attached to the garden wall.

I use that term "garden" very loosely.

There is probably some ugly moth forming in there.

I'm pretty sure I'll never know.

One day it will just be gone, or empty.

But, for now, it is amusing.

Blossoms.

Or at least what is going to be blossoms if the sun ever comes out again.

These are on our flowering plum trees,

which make me smile because, to date, they are the only trees we have actually planted on the property.

We are lucky to have many trees, most of which were planted years ago

and are already big and shady.

Last summer we planted two trees of our own.

They are short and spindly and heavily braced

to protect them from the wind.

Someday, they will be tall and bushy, and best of all, purple.

Weeds.

Ok, not really weeds.

Mixed in those weeds, if you look really close, especially in the middle,

there is wild mint.

Actually, I don't really know if it is mint, or if it is wild.

What I DO know is that it grows all around our ponds

and if you stomp on it a lot, then you start smelling mint and it is wonderful.

It doesn't look like the pretty mint you would grow on purpose, or make tea out of, or use to garnish a fancy dessert.  It looks like a weed, but the scent makes me smile.

Bailee and her crooked ears make me smile.

Except when she runs down the driveway toward the road to bark at the cows across the street.

Then I start yelling and she comes cowering back into the yard.

She has no clue about the dangers of the road.

Lunati and her weird name.

You can tell a guy named her.

Go ahead, google Lunati.

It's right along the lines of Mallory.

No offense, of course, to anyone named Mallory.

Go ahead, google that one too.

Layla.

No, this isn't my dog, but she visits us often.

She LOVES to swim.

Even at 11 pm in January.

Unfortunately for her, she doesn't have much hair to keep her warm,

and she ends up freezing cold. 

This, of course, does nothing to deter her from swimming every chance she gets.

That ONE long hair.

I wish you could see it better in the picture.

I need to get a picture of it dry because it curls up like a little coil.

Too cute.

Aunty Beth thinks I need to cut it.

What does she know?

I hope you're smiling too.

An Update on Sitting & Rolling

Just last Thursday, I reported that Laci was practicing sitting up and that she's not very good at it.

On Sunday, she sat up by herself for more than 10 minutes.

I guess that means she can sit up now.

Just last Thursday, I reported that Laci wasn't very interested in rolling over.

Today, she rolled across the floor - tummy to back to tummy and again.

I guess that means she can roll now.

Just last Thursday, I reported that Laci was giving up trying to scoot forward.

This morning, she scooted forward to reach her toys.

She pushes her butt up in the air with her feet and then slides her face across the floor.

It is a strange method, but effective.

I guess that means she can scoot now.

What does all this mean for me?

Time to baby proof.

And a lot less sitting still.

What happened to my sweet little immobile baby?

Squash & Toes: A Story by Laci

I'm Laci.
I like squash & oatmeal.
Do you know what goes good with squash & oatmeal?

 TOES!!

No really, I mean it.
I'll show you the best way to eat squash and toes together.

Step one:
Smile at the person with the food.
That's how they know to feed you another spoonful.

Step two:
Take a big bite.
It is best to hold your toes with your hand during this step. 
That way, you won't forget where they are.

Step three:
Rub your fingers all over your mouth.
This ensures that you get a good coating of squash all over your fingers.
It is best to do this step with only one hand, so you can keep the other hand firmly on your toes.
You don't want to lose those things.

Step four:
Thoroughly coat your toes with squash from your fingers. 

Step five:
Enjoy your toes!

The End.

...six months...

At Zero and a Half, Laci is getting so big.

At least compared to how tiny she was six months ago.

She has decided to only roll over when she is really mad,

and for now, has given up trying to scoot.

I'm OK with this as it means I don't have to worry about chasing her...yet.
Although, just as I type this,
I see her pushing her little tush up in the air with her feet on the ground.
Maybe she thinks she'd rather walk like a dog
than crawl like a baby.

She loves bouncing in the jumperoo.

Bouncing induces happy yelling.

Happy yelling gets pretty loud sometimes

(she really is a Silva).

She has been practicing sitting up on her own,

definitely more my idea than hers.
She's not very good at it.
I enjoy watching her fall back to the ground in slow motion.
Mean, I know, but I get my laughs where I can these days.
Plus, she doesn't seem to mind.

She is still a slobbering, chewing, biting mess without any teeth.

I thought for sure we'd see something coming through by now, but still nothing.

They say by six months the whole eye color issue should be cleared up.
Well, we are about as clear as mud about her eye color.
They get lighter everyday.
The consensus as this point is they are greenish-gray, with just a hint of brown.

She likes to eat, squash is her favorite so far.

She has super squishy thighs, which I love to squeeze.

Speaking of squeezing, I am trying to teach her the word "soft."
The following "soft" phrases can be heard several times a day in our house:
"Be soft when you pet the dog
(don't grab her fur with all your might)."
"Be soft when you pet the kitty
(her tail is not your teether)."
"Be soft when you grab mommy's lips
(they really are attached to her face and cannot be removed not matter how hard you try)."
"Be soft when you touch mommy's hair
(it is also attached to mommy and it hurts really bad when you grab it and won't let go)."

She loves to pull things over her head -
blankets, toys, my shirt, whatever is available.
She thinks she's playing peek-a-boo,
except sometimes she can't figure out how to remove the item from her head.
When this happens,
she lays really still
with her arms and legs stiff as a board
until someone uncovers her.

She has started throwing things.
She mostly drops them on the floor,
but a few have made it quite a distance.
Much fun is had watching me pick them up time and time again.

She can be very loud and does not keep her opinions private.

We all know when something isn't going her way.

We have a new saying in our house,

"Toys that make us cry must go away."

This applies to many toys lately.

I'm not sure what it is about them that makes her cry,

but they do, so they go away for a while.

When all else fails, I give her a toy with tags on it.

The challenge of trying to grab the tags will keep her entertained for quite some time.

Her hair is filling in and I can't wait for it get to longer.

She has one little hair in the front that is about two inches long.

I love her ONE long hair.

I like to see how long it has gotten when it is soaking wet and stuck to her face.

I am hoping the other hairs catch up soon.

I wish I could say she is an easy baby and sleeping through the night,

but that would be a big fat lie.

I'll be honest, she is a challenging girl.

Sometimes I ask her, "What on earth is the problem now?"

But, of course, she can't answer me, except to keep crying,

and I just keep guessing until something quiets her.

She hates going to sleep.

Who can hate going to sleep?

I would LOVE to go to sleep.

She shuts her eyes alright,

but then arches her back and yells when the sleepies start taking over.

Really...is falling asleep so terrible?

Maybe she is afraid she'll miss something while she's napping.

I am thankful when the sleepies sneak up on her

and she goes to sleep before she knows she is tired.

Thank goodness for the happy moments,

the giggling and the deep belly laughs,

and the toothless slobbery smiles she shares with me about a million times a day.

Thank goodness for being able to be with her everyday,

watching her grow, explore, learn,

and become the little person she is supposed to be.

These things make all this motherhood nonsense make sense in my head.

She is so cute, smart, and sassy, I can't help but love her.

Just Laci

A Little Break From Winter

Every year in February, for about a week, Mother Nature pretends it is Spring. 

The sun comes out and the air warms up, and we get a break from the grayness of winter. 

This week is that week.

I first noticed it Sunday morning when I looked out my window

and saw blossoms on the almond tree in the front yard,

and about 500 birds (really, no exaggeration) on the ground and in the trees. 

I thought, "Maybe this is the week..." 

Monday morning brought triple the blossoms on the almond tree

and it was literally humming with the activity of honey bees.  

Then I knew for sure. 

The weather is going to be fantastic this week.

I am enjoying it very much. 

My front door is open,

the curtains are all wide open,

and I'm trying to soak up all the warmth and sunshine I can. 

It is so refreshing to step outside without a jacket on. 

I get to see Laci's fat thighs because they aren't bundled up in winter cozies. 

I have thrown all the animals outside to burn off the energy they have stored up over the past month. 

My normally dark brown cave of a home even appears to be full of light today. 

It is easy to trick myself into believing that Spring is really here,

but I know better. 

The clouds will return. 

The temperatures will drop. 

The rain will fall once again (or at least we need it to). 

I really am a fair weather girl. 

It makes me feel happier, more motivated, calmer. 

The sun is my friend. 

I suppose I'll just have to store this warm weather

somewhere in my bones

to hold me over

 until Spring really does arrive. 

Happy Birthday Lil' Sis

I hope you have a wonderful day today!

This is a big year for you...the last of your twenties.

It's all downhill from here.

I know from experience.

Not really.

Life just gets better everyday.

You'll have lots to do this year and I'm sooooo looking forward to helping you.

Love you lots.

Love,

Your Big Sis

Happy Valentine's Day

We hope your Valentine is as sweet as ours.

But maybe not as slobbery.

The trouble with learning...

Ignorance is bliss.

Have you ever heard that before?

It is true.

Remember, a while ago, when I said I was going to learn how to use my camera? 

I remember.

How I wish I hadn't said those words.

I believe the day after I wrote that I mentally retracted those words and made a new vow: 

To only shoot in AUTO for the rest of my life.

Then along came The Pioneer Woman.

Now let me sidetrack you for a minute.

I banned The Pioneer Woman from my reading list sometime last year, not too long after I discovered her.  Yes, BANNED her.

I just couldn't take it.

The green-eyed monster inside of me just couldn't allow this woman into my computer or my life.

I mean, really, how can one woman cook, home school, photograph, write,

and update her website multiple times a day, everyday,

and not collapse in a heap of exhaustion? 

I am convinced she has an army of elves to assist her that are in need of some recognition. 

Alas, I have fallen victim to her charm once again.

Elves or not, she does have some good information

and has achieved a level of perfection I can vainly try to emulate. 

She can provide a role model of sorts for me...at least until I've had enough of her again.

Now, back to the subject of learning.

P-Dub

(as she calls herself) 

has devoted an entire section of her website to photography, including information to help us hopeless beginners try to figure out what all those settings on our cameras mean. 

Since I publicly declared my desire to learn, I figured I should start somewhere. 

It just so happens that when I visited her website, she was re-running a series of posts dedicated to explaining aperture and shutter speed in "real words." 

Then she challenged her readers to go out and take some pictures demonstrating a shallow depth of field (oh my, photography-ese I'm speaking). 

So, I did. 

I ran outside and started clicking away, in (gasp!) MANUAL. 

About three minutes into playing with my camera settings I was horrified to realize that my kit lens just isn't good enough. 

How silly is that!!! 

I shoot in manual for the first time ever for only three minutes and I already think I need a better lens. 

Thanks P-Dub, for bringing to my attention that my kit lens just isn't fast enough. 

Well, first, I had to run inside and visit my other favorite place for photography information: I Heart Faces. 

It is here that I learned that the problem with the kit lens is that it is too "slow" (more photography-ese).  

Thanks I Heart Faces, for explaining lenses to me.  

And for putting the idea in my head that I need a new, FASTER, and of course, much more expensive lens to produce those tack sharp photos with the blurry background that I was aiming for. 

I confirmed the expensive part when I visited B&H Photo, found the desired lens, and fought the urge to place it in my shopping cart.

So that is the trouble with learning.  I was perfectly content to just shoot in AUTO with my lame-o kit lens until I got the wild idea that I should actually LEARN something about photography.  Of course, I know I have plenty to learn and I will push that kit lens to its limit.  And I'll try not to complain, because really, my abilities hardly warrant more expensive equipment.  Deep down, though, I'll know that a different lens might get me those results that I see in my head but just can't seem to capture.  Even deeper down, I'll suppress my desire to return to blissful ignorance, because, obviously, there is no turning back now.

I included these pictures as documentation of my first attempt at shooting in manual.  The subjects aren't all that interesting and I'm sure they have about a million flaws that I'm blissfully unaware of, but when you're rushing outside to shoot between diaper changes and loads of laundry, you're kind of limited.

Just Playin'

Love these eyes.

Love the concentration.

Love the enthusiasm.

Love these spit bubbles.

Love these eyelashes.

A Day in the Life of the Edwards: Sunday

I took a lot of pictures yesterday.  

It was just a day, like so many other days. 

Nothing too special happened that would help us remember this specific day in our history. 

Isn't it the "everyday" that we need help remembering? 

The everyday things that happen without us noticing. 

We are pretty good at recording the big events of our lives: 

Laci's firsts...weddings...parties...

but those things would be remembered even if there weren't any pictures taken to record them. 

The following overload of pictures is intended to give us a glimpse into our

everyday life as it is right now. 

No doubt, our everyday life in a year or so will look much different.

This is the Edwards, on a regular day, with the clutter left intact, and the subjects left unposed.

My two thinkers...or at least it would appear this way.

Ryan is actually watching TV and Laci is watching the dog behind me.

Too bad you can't see Ryan's "mad scientist" hairdo.

He needs a haircut SO bad, but refuses to get it trimmed until PG&E comes out to install power for the shop.

Yes, we are still waiting for shop power (the process started in August 2008),

but that is a whole can of worms I'm leaving closed right now.

Playtime - kicking time - giggling time

Laci and I made chocolate chip cookies.

I love my mixer, just wish it were RED.

Laci wasn't too excited about helping.

I love her squishy thighs.

Mmmmm...warm from my "easy bake" oven.

Went outside for a while. 

The sun was playing peek-a-boo behind the clouds.

I love that my yard includes things like this:

And this:

And this:

And this:

The dogs chased sticks and went swimming.

They are crazy, cold, and soaking wet.

The plus side is their hair is very soft today from the cold water.

Bailee enjoying her "log" stick.

Notice it is black from having been partially burned.

I believe she found this in the burn pile.

I love how she steadies it with her paws like hands.

I attempted a self-portait of Laci and myself.

Then I realized how dirty the mirror is.

And how frizzy my hair is.

And how tired I look.

Bleh.

Notice my photography assistant helping me steady the camera.

Nothing is safe from her anymore.

At least nothing I am holding while I am simultaneously holding her.

Phones, remotes, cameras, books, soda cans, the list is really endless.

I admire her fascination with the mundane.

For dinner, Jake brought riblets.

The riblets are pictured below.
Jake is not pictured below.

He may or may not have had too much fun the night before.

Either way, he was nursing a hangover with BBQ and Red Bull.

Not a bad remedy.

The day ended as usual - with bath time and bed time.

Laci has discovered the joy of splashing water,

so bath time has become more of a small storm as of late.

It is joyful to watch.

Somewhere in between all of this we managed to also include

watching the Super Bowl,

visiting with mom and dad,

doing mad "flight of the bumble bee" house cleaning,

and laughing at Laci when she fell asleep in the jumperoo.

I'm bummed I didn't get a picture of that.

I just felt so bad for the little thing.

I got so busy vacuuming I forgot about nap time.

This is our life these days, most days.

Not too shabby.

Looking forward to doing it again tomorrow.