our typical "photo shoot"

I can't tell you how many times I have wanted to dress my girls in something cute, take them to an awesome location, and snap some shots worthy of a frame in our home.  However, I CAN tell you how many times I have succeeded in actually doing that.  NONE.  Okay, maybe a couple times I got something frame-worthy, but never as magical as I imagined in my head.  No, most of the time, this is what I shoot.

 

 
I know I could change their clothes, I know I could fix their hair, but it's such a happier experience if I let them just be who they are.  In this case, one is a puppy and the other is a technology and bottle obsessed toddler.  I'll let you guess which one is which.

Of course, they're my babies and I love every.  single.  picture.  Especially this one:

But I don't think these will be making it to a wall anytime soon.

a little outing

Last weekend, we went to Kirshner Wildlife Refuge. It's a little attraction near us that I have always talked about visiting, but have never made the time. We were bored at home, and when your three year old says, "I want to see wild animals," then that's what you do:  You go see wild animals

Most of these animals are unable to live in the wild on their own. Some are blind, some have had injuries, some have imprinted on humans. Some have been bred in captivity and are used for research.  It was interesting to see such big cats up close, and a little depressing to see them caged up.  I had to remind myself that they aren't capable of living in their natural habitat and are being cared for in the best ways possible.

I had a little chuckle at the sleeping Liger. I can't help but think of Napoleon Dynamite every time I hear the word liger..."It's pretty much my favorite animal. It's like a lion and a tiger mixed... bred for its skills in magic."

The most entertaining animals of the bunch were the two European brown bears who splashed in the water and wrestled for a good twenty minutes before settling down for afternoon naps. They are in a cyclone fence cage that was driving me crazy to shoot through, and long after the fact, I realized I probably could have changed my camera settings a little to make it easier. So, let's just pretend I was being "artistic" here instead of making rookie mistakes.

The girls were mesmerized, and that was the whole point. And since it didn't take all day, nobody got tired or complained about our makeshift double stroller.  And we still had time for a proper afternoon nap on the way home.

sisters

 

 Just my kids...being kids.  Showing their personalities, which I obviously love.

Ryan and I went to a funeral today for his great aunt.  It wasn't a terribly sad funeral, she had lived a long life and a good life with people she loved and was loved by.  Isn't that all that anyone can ask for?  She died in her sleep, no cancer or illness taking her.  Just age.

I think the person I feel saddest for is Ryan's grandmother, who is now an "only child," so to speak. I overheard her say she will miss her Saturday phone calls with her sister, and it hurts my heart to know how much she will be missing her sister tomorrow morning.

I know that losing your parents is incredibly painful, but it is something you are prepared for in one way or another. Everyone expects that, at some point, your parents will no longer be with you on this earth.  But sisters and brothers?  That's something entirely different.  I don't remember my life before I was a sister and I can't imagine who I would be without being "the oldest."

And, of course, all this thinking about sisters and getting old and dying led me to think about my girls.  How they are slowly becoming friends.  Friends who fight a lot, but friends all the same.  How they will make up little games to play together when they think I'm not paying attention.  How Laci will help her little sister get things she can't reach.  And no, it isn't all sunshine and roses.  Mia has bit Laci more than once in the past few days and Laci consistently takes all the "good" toys from her little sister.  But there are lessons to be learned from the arguments, too, and that's just part of being siblings.  I am so happy they have each other and I hope that I'm setting a good example of how important sisters are in life.

To my sisters:  I'm sure you already know, but I love you both dearly and am so lucky to have you as my closest friends in life.  See you tomorrow.

and then it snowed

Yesterday was Mia's 12 month follow up with her surgeon. She had two chest x-rays and a quick exam. She's healthy.  Duh. She will go back in another year for x-rays and if all is still well, she will be free and clear...no more follow ups.

I just think the surgeon likes to see her all fat and sassy. I don't blame her a bit. I don't know any statistics or real numbers, but I would guess happy ending cases like Mia's make those doctors feel really good, as they should. It would be incredibly frustrating to not be able to help and fix every single baby that comes their way.

On the way home, my phone died.  Oh, despair!!   So, I grabbed my camera for entertainment. I call this photography at 70mph.

I took pictures most of the way home. It was fun and challenging...not much time for composing and focusing when things are whizzing by. I'm surprised anything came out clear at all.  But that first shot up there, the one with the giant, amazing oak tree...well, I sort of love it.

And then I wished I would have started taking pictures as we left Sacramento to compose a sort of photo essay of our drive home.  But I didn't think of it at the time. Dumb.

So, this is more like an essay of the second half of our trip home.

Back in Oroville, we stopped at my mom's to pick up Laci, then stopped at the store for bread and milk. It started to hail as we left the store and headed home.

And then it snowed.

There is something kind of magical about snow. How it falls so silently (once the wind stops), and how it slowly builds little piles that look so fluffy and soft. For one brief moment I imagined how awesome it would be to live some place where it snows every winter. How much fun the kids would have. Laci wanted to know if there would be presents now because it was snowing and snowing means Christmas. See? Snow is magical for kids especially.

And then I remembered how much I hate being cold and how I would hate to shovel snow to get my car out. So, snow just once in a very great while is fine with me.

We went outside early this morning to "play" before it all melted.  Although, at this point it was more ice than snow.  Laci crunched it up in her boots and Mia ate it.  And then we all had freezing hands and went back
inside.

The End.

diapers forever

Laci is three and a half (today, exactly, in fact) and I am finally close to saying she is fully potty trained. I'll admit, I have been a lazy momma, waiting for it to be her idea. And waiting. And waiting.

I hope she doesn't hate me years from now for blogging this, but her papa says it is blog-worthy, soooo...

For over a year, we have been talking about being a big girl, about wearing big girl panties, about going on the potty. We have offered toy prizes, candy prizes, "you can go to school when you're potty trained" prizes. All to no avail. Laci is a pretty stubborn girl. She likes things a certain way. She likes things to be her idea. She is the most stubborn parts of her daddy and me combined, which is something like stubborn times nine jillion.

About a month or so ago, I was sitting with Laci, watching tv after dinner, once again discussing how great it is to be a big girl and to use the big potty. Like most kids her age, she is really focused on not being a baby anymore. She wants to be a big girl and she wants to go to school. Which, to me, all sound like great incentives to get rid of the diaper.

And yet, instead of jumping on the potty-training wagon, she makes a fist with her hand, shoots it straight up in the air, and announces, "Diapers Forever!!"

For real. Ummmmm, where does she get this stuff?!?  This was clearly not the response I was expecting, or what I wanted to hear.

I started full-on potty training the next morning.

It hasn't been struggle-free, but a month or so later, she is doing pretty well.  And although I doubted it for a minute, it will definitely NOT be diapers forever.

In related news, eighteen month old Mia is now obsessed with wearing panties just like her sister.  Except, I don't think she really understands what they are all about.

 

{our day in pictures} valentines day 2013

** Store bought cookies and card for the hubs. Sometimes it's just easier to buy it. 

** Fun in the tub while momma gets ready for the day.

** Approximately 2.2 seconds after this picture, I see that Laci has squirted a large blob of lotion into Mia's hands. So much for a sweet sisterly moment. And just as I started to say "No," Mia smeared the lotion all down the front of her shirt and into her hair. She sure smelled pretty.

** About 5.6 minutes later, after changing her clothes, she disappeared. Once I realized it was too quiet, she reappeared with red lip gloss smeared all over both hands. Miraculously, there wasn't any on her clothes, face, or hair. It was at this point that I put them both in their carseats in the car so I could finish packing our stuff for the day and make it out the door without any more mishaps. I don't have photographic evidence of this incident, but if you know Mia, then you know this isn't hard to believe.

** We played with my old Strawberry Shortcake dolls at Grammy's house.

**Miss Harper practiced her smiles. 

** And then she practiced her sad face. 

 ** Back at home, Daddy brought stuffed animals for the girls.

** A very rare "sweet" Mia moment.

** Someone got caught stealing Rose.  Yep, that's the Mia I recognize.

** He's such a good guy.

** It was 77* today!! Windows open! 

** The hubs brought home tri tip to BBQ. I suppose that almost counts as making dinner.  We would have eaten outside, too, but the mosquitoes were already making a meal of us.

** I made my very favorite potatoes...thank you Pinterest. 

 

** And since I can't end with an ugly picture of potatoes, here's the beautiful flowers Ryan brought home for me.

It was a Happy Valentine's Day, indeed.