Quaker girl

Amelia is a creature of habit, just as most children are. She goes to bed at the same time every night, wakes up at the same time every morning, sleeps with her puppy and wants to brush her teeth before bed. Every morning when she wakes up I say "are you ready for your oatmeal?!" She smiles and says "yes!" So I plop her in her high chair and serve her a bowl of warm oatmeal with a tiny sprinkle of brown sugar. She insists on feeding herself every drop

When the spoon isn't fast enough, she uses her hands!

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Just when you think she's looking at story books....

I was enjoying a quiet shower this morning, Amelia was sitting just outside the open bathroom door, jabbering at me and looking at books, and by looking at books I mean "delicately applying desitin to her lips, just like mommy's lipstick" I stepped out of the shower, peeked around the corner and laughed so hard I thought I would stop breathing. She had found the tube of thick diaper paste and artfully applied it to her lips (and face, and shirt, and pants...etc) No wonder she was so content to sit outside the bathroom door and chatter happily.... while "reading books"

What? I have something on my face? Naaa, really?

You can't see in the picture, but her shirt is covered in it!!

Good thing she's so cute!!!

January Funk

I'm not sure what it is, but every January I fall into a little funk, I'm sure this is not unheard of, I know  many people that suffer from the "January Funk" I'm just one of the many. It's too cold, holidays are over, the toys have been played with, it's still MONTHS away from any warm weather and life is just a little... bleak. Add this to a couple doses of "I can't go to my grandma's 75th/85th birthday party, and my BFF is moving to Texas," and you have one big funk. One thing I look forward to is my nightly ritual of a warm bath, it seems like when I'm in warm water, my head is clear and things just seem a little more bearable. Lately Henry has been asking to take a warm bath several times a day... sometimes I think kids get the January Funk too...

King Henry

Yesterday at church, Henry got a paper crown in his class, not sure what the lesson was about, but this morning marks day 2 of him insisting on everyone addressing him as "King Henry". The crown hasn't left his head since church yesterday. I had to convince him that it would be better to leave it home today, he was all ready to wear it to preschool! Right now it's lovingly hung on his bedpost ready to grace his head in 3 short hours.

The CTR stands for Choose The Right... as long as you're calling him King Henry, of course.

Here is a sample of the breakfast conversation this morning...

Henry, what would you like for breakfast?

"Please call me KING Henry, mom"

King Henry, what would you like for breakfast?

"Cheerios"

And repeat for every conversation, the past 24 hours.

Gosh I love this kingly preschooler.

15 months...

My precious baby Amelia turned 15 months old this very day. She's such a precious little lamb, I felt a blog post was in order to celebrate the occasion.  She's such a treat to have in our family, we all adore her immensely. I call her my "angel baby" because she's the closest thing to an angel I've ever held. In the morning she wakes up, stands in her crib and shakes the bars like a little monkey in a cage, screaming MAAAA MA! MAAAA MA! I love to walk in her room and see her toothy smile and hear the happy squeal she gives me. Her red hair is all tangled and curly and circles her head like a fluffy little apricot halo, I pick her up and breathe in the scent of her hair and sweet baby neck and smile, because she's in my arms.

A few things I want to remember about Amelia when she was 15 months old.

-She'll eat anything as long as she can dip it in ketchup, you heard that right, ketchup! Gross right? She's so dainty with her dipping, but when she gets tired of it, she scoops it up with three fingers and shovels it into her mouth.

-She sleeps with her "puppy" every night- it's really a stuffed leopard webkinz, but she calls it her puppy and buries her face in it, she sleeps with it in the crook of her arm.

-She's cruising around furniture pretty fast, but has yet to take her first steps unassisted.

-She sleeps 12 or 13 hours straight every night and naps once during the day.

-She's quite the talker and will repeat nearly any word, but says the following words unprompted-
Momma, Daddy, up, Maya, Henry, puppy, chocolate, cookie, treat, drink, NO NO (complete with a finger wag) night night, pretty, twinkle twinkle, stinky, One... two, please, thank you, DROID (when she sees my phone) banana, hot.

- She loves to have her hair in tiny pigtails and will touch them, saying "pretty"

-She has a feisty temper and does not like to be told "no" she really reminds me so much of my sweet Grammy, in looks and in temperament! Mostly sweet, but a force when she wants to be!

Girl LOVES frozen gogurt, and will eat several per day- thank heavens NOT dipped in ketchup.

I've been seeing quite a bit of this face since those molars are coming up!

-When Tadd comes home from work, she'll crawl around the house after him, yelling " HI Daddy HI Daddy! UP! UP! She'll even get up on her knees and lift her hands up in the air, like a tiny beggar.

-Any time the phone rings, or I'm on the phone, she'll say "HI Daddy!" and repeat it the entire time I'm on the phone....

Is it any wonder we're all in love with this tiny creature?

In the thick of it....

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind!! I'm loving my new "hobby" and realize I can only get better. I've had so many learning curve hurdles to jump, I feel like I'm training for the olympics. Let's go through the hurdles, just for remembrance sake

-learn a new camera
-learn to shoot in manual mode (this one was a biggie!!!)
-learn a new computer
-learn 2 new lenses
-learn how to start a business (city hall, legal notices in newspapers, etc)
-learn some new editing/cataloging software
-learn to manage my time (say YES to the kids and NO to the computer when I need to)
-learn to budget more new expenses than I feel like I will ever be able to repay
-learn to pose shots, so they don't look posed!
-learn importing/exporting using RAW files and software that isn't easy.
-learn to set up a domain name and business site.
-learn photoshop - this one is on the "to do" short list. I haven't even cracked the box yet.

I'm really having a good time and can't wait to see what the future holds for my little business. Thanks for your support!

On starting a business...

You know, it's so great being married to the perfect person (perfect for me, that is). When you're married to the perfect person, they know when you need a little push to help you succeed. They know when you need to unfold your wings and jump. They know that if they can help you do that, they will. Even if YOU don't know you need to unfold your wings and jump...

For years I've looked at professional photography blogs and thought I could DO that, I know I could...  But then doubt takes over and my worry monster tells me that I'm not good enough and I don't have what it takes and nobody would ever hire me for crying out loud! Well, one day Tadd came home from work and told me a present was coming in the mail for me,  a brand new professional camera, the next day a brand new iMac with upgraded RAM and memory, then a lens and tripod... and told me "Now little bird, unfold your wings and fly" And with that, my own little photography company was born. Today I sat down and filled out the paperwork to file with the county for my very own Assumed Business Name!  Then a million other things and I will be officially in business.

Thanks to my dear husband for believing in me, and making it all happen, I love you!

Now if I could just figure out how to upload RAW images to my blogger account, we could all enjoy a few pics of cute little Amelia. That's next!