she was in such a good mood yesterday. Wanted pictures taken of her and the outfit she picked out "all by myself!" We started inside, enjoying a lollipop she got as a favor from Cailin's birthday party.
Then, we had a little patch of sunshine, and went outside to blow bubbles She tried SO HARD to blow her own bubbles. She just figured, the harder she tried, the bigger the bubbles. At one point, she was practically spitting. But when it did work, and a little bubble popped out, she was so excited! ...and play with our neighbor Ella and her dog Sasha.
And hands down, my new favorite picture of her. Ever. Yes, it's huge. That's how she is to me. :)
Two blog posts in one day!! I think I'm finally back on the wagon. The snow is melting, the sun is finally coming out, spring is around the corner and just this week, completed project #5 out of the 18,274 we have set out to accomplish. We have new lighting on the main floor now, and every little bit of change inspires me.
I hadn't picked up my camera in a verrrrry long time before this week. A couple snaps here and there, but my November 2009 folder is completely empty of family pictures. So sad. I was taking so many client pictures, that I got burnt out. December has a few, but not my usual plethora. January and February are sporadic. A couple here and there, but they didn't feel exciting to me, so I just kept putting off any real blogging. Throw in a heck of a lot of snow, the stomach bug, more house projects and the daily grind that saps your energy, and the last thing I want to do at 8pm is use my brain.
Well I think I've found my mojo again. :) And just in time! I'm trying out some new editing styles, and using more storyboards that seem to be trendy in photography these days.
On Tuesday, we went to the library (at emma's request) and were there right when it opened. We found a few books to read, had a snack and found out that Dr. Seuss story time was about to start. The older, grumpy librarian looked over her glasses at Emma and informed me that this particular class was for 3 years and up and I just said thank you and we grabbed our ticket. She had no idea! Emma loved it, and sat through the class, participating in every activity.
From 4.5 awesome days in Park City, Utah!! The trip was a blast and Emma was a fantastic traveler. For going that far away, for such a short trip (and a 2 hr time difference), she really held her own. There were fifteen of us staying at the condo too!! Girlfriend is now a bona fide 'party girl'.
I didn't take my SLR camera with me, but we got some wicked good videos on our point-and-shoot. Did I mention Emma was awesome? She went ice skating, snowmobiling, hot-tubbing, bus taking and overall enjoyed everything we threw at her. What memories we'll have of this trip!
I think I was the luckiest one of all, because I did all the skiing!! Emma was too young for ski school - they don't start until 3.5 years. Roger had a bad back from shoveling our way out of Snowmageddon 2010 AND a round trip drive to Miami. He and Emma hung out while mama learned to carve her way down Park City Mountain, thanks to the olympic training she received, courtesy of one Katie Fabian. You rock, girl!!
Here are a few EKH digital shorts:
In this video, Emma is proudly displaying her pink butterfly goggles. She wore these EVERYWHERE. It was the cutest thing ever. The first thing she asked for when she woke up in the morning was, "goggles!" followed by "hot tub!" Roger had planned on taking her on the Alpine Sled - a gravity-assisted roller coaster. After psyching her up and waiting for it to start, the cautious employees made the call that there was too much snow to operate. She looks so bummed, doesn't she?!
Since the Alpine Sled was a bust, Roger took her over to the ice skating rink. She rocked it!! She even helped her new friend Dani take a lap around the rink with a walker. Dani was younger than Emma, but Emma was trying her best to help Dani by putting her arm around her back. After the video, Dani got sad/frustrated, which you'll hear about in the next video.
This video makes my heart just BURST. I cry every time I see this video. My little girl is ice skating!!! All by herself!! I can't stand it. I am so unbelievably proud of her. She is willing to try anything. I would never have pushed her to do anything she didn't want to, because I can completely respect a healthy dose of fear. She didn't bat an eye. In fact, she asked to do it. I just adore her adventurousness and confidence. I hope I can continue to encourage and empower her to try new things and feel strong and independent. Ok, I took my mommy goggles off now. :)
A big group of us went on a 2 hour snowmobiling tour. It was sooo much fun. Emma was pumped the whole ride over and couldn't wait to take off. Every time we stopped, she'd say, "more!"
Shout out to our peeps!
Always Miss Independent, Emma wanted to work the throttle. BY. HER. SELF. :)
She had sooooo much fun that she decided a quick nap was in order. The guide even warned me it could happen, but I thought, "Oh no. Not my kid. Never happen." Well, here's proof:
Finally, nothing like ending an adventure packed day with a people packed hot tub. She would have stayed in here allll night long if we'd let her.
More pics to come! But lots of great highlights! I'm so excited for next season so we can get her on some skiis. :)
I was changing the sheets in the guest bedroom when, naturally, my little friend came in to see what I was doing. I threw her into the pile of pillows and all of a sudden, four days of being cooped up inside during a snowstorm came bursting out.
We broke all the rules during the snowstorm of 2010. Stayed in our jammies all day, ate breakfast for dinner and dinner for breakfast. We watched more tv than usual (including mama!) and were allowed to jump on the bed.
Last week, Roger and I both looked at Emma's static-y, wispy baby hair that had grown into about 5 different layers, all of different quality, and most of it landing in her eyes. I had never cut her hair, and part of me was so reluctant to it, for fear of losing her precious, trademark curls. But it truly was time. The ends were getting matted and it just wasn't doing her beautiful face justice.
So I took her to the 'cartoon cuts' place in the mall. I wasn't sure how she'd do since having her hair touched is one of the few things she really gets grumpy about. But luckily for her, they had non-stop Dora videos! Our hairdresser showed me how much she thought we need to cut off, and I almost had a heart attack. We girls are so attached to hair! But she promised me she'd leave the top long and that it would look MUCH healthier. I'm so glad we did it and she was so right! Her hair looks amazing, the curls are still there, and now they're bouncy and shiny and Emma loves telling people she got her hair cut!
Of course, the wooden heart necklace, the new polka dot bow and the cup of Maggie Moo's helped a little too. :)
(Emma channeling her best Kanye West impression...)
Well, we got our wish! Our first pre-christmas snow day! (I don't count the one on Dec 5th because it wasn't all that exciting...)
What a week. Our hardwood floor installation started on Wednesday, and naturally, they are still not finished. The snowstorm of 2009 didn't help much, and we are going on six days of makeshift meals and carryout due to all our furniture being squished into the kitchen (not to mention all the dust/debris leftover from construction, etc.) Good news is, it's going to look AWESOME!! Pictures will come later.
We managed to get out of the house yesterday evening for a little snow-trapsing with the Emster. She loves the snow!! She doesn't love cold hands though, I have to work on that part... (I just ordered her a pair of real snow gloves and snow boots, to prepare for our upcoming trip to UTAH! More on that later too!).
So here are our snow pics. Boy, do I need to work on photographing in snow. All that reflective white surface really throws off my metering! It's certainly not my best work, but oh well.
We had fun walking across the street to get a Rotisserie Chicken for dinner, and of course, a gingerbread cookie for Emma. She noshed on that cookie the entire walk home...
Roger doing a little joy-riding with our neighbor...
Sunset in Swan Point Still got that cookie... And finally, it might be a 'smart' car - but it ain't gonna dig itself out of the snow!
Speaking of digging, kudos to Roger. He is our hero. He spent six hours on Saturday night driving people (patients) home from the local hospital who had been snowed in. He spent the better part of the weekend shoveling our three cars out of the mounds of snow, before helping most of our neighbors shovel theirs out too. It was a very collaborative effort, in order to avoid previous squabbles over parking spots. In years past, people would valiantly shovel their cars out of their parking spots and leave for work, food shopping, etc. only to come back and find their neighbor (who HADN'T spent the day shoveling, but instead quickly dusted just their windshields enough to see four feet in front) come back and park in the 'clean' parking spots. RUDE! There should be a law against this! Oh, and there should be a law that you must remove the snow from the *entire* car before you're allowed to drive. That big mound of snow on your roof? Remove it! Before it hits MY windshield after a gust of wind blows it off your car on the highway!
(I had to add, that this Santa was the *creepiest* Santa we've ever met. The dude had nasty long, yellow fingernails and absolutely ZERO personality. I think he was on drugs. So yah, Emma hit it straight on the money with a nice boot in the crotch. That's my girl!) :)
It's true, you've probably already figured as much, so it's time to come clean.
But let me just fill you in on why: 1) Swine flu. We are finally humanoids again.
2) I have 128 GB of pictures on my computer. Yes, giga-bytes.
3) House projects - painted emma's room & bathroom: check. Painted hallway/staircase railings: half-check. Upstairs carpet: coming Friday. Powder room: plumbing complete. Drywall: exposed. Hardwood floors: Ordered. Received. Roger lugs 36 boxes into the house. Wrong color. Roger lugs 36 boxes back to Lowe's. Delivery estimated for December now. Good times.
4) A ridiculously happy, energetic, loud, bossy, funny, energetic, busy, bossy, loud 2 year old. Need I say more?
5). Dora. All day, every day (if she'd have it her way).
6) Mom (me) having five photography clients in one month. And oh yes, 128 GB of pictures on my hard-drive that need attention.
7) Lots of fun meeting new mommy & child neighbors, trips to the horse stables and the library, and the carousel at the mall and new adventures every day.
8) House projects - hours of calling, getting quotes, price-shopping, material-shopping, more quote-getting and back and forth decision-making.
9) Fun weekends on the boat.
10) A loud, happy, busy 2 year old and 128 GB of photos clouding up my brain.
It will be an interesting day for sure. 2 of us already have sinus infections, and the 3rd (me) is fighting it tooth and nail. We've tried to take it easy this week, stay close to home and get lots of rest. But there's no rest for the weary! So much to do! House projects are in full swing and today we have to paint the entire upstairs (well, Roger will do the hard labor and Emma and I will supervise and keep ourselves busy). Then we have a neighborhood Halloween happy hour, followed by trick-or-treating with Morgan & Tommy!
Emma can't wait for that part. We've been practicing our trick or treat and she is VERY excited about wearing her costume. Luckily, Parker is just as enthusiastic - he'll make a great Hansl. :)
lollipops & bubbles
Then, we had a little patch of sunshine, and went outside to blow bubbles 
...and play with our neighbor Ella and her dog Sasha. 
And hands down, my new favorite picture of her. Ever. Yes, it's huge. That's how she is to me. :)
I was changing the sheets in the guest bedroom when, naturally, my little friend came in to see what I was doing. I threw her into the pile of pillows and all of a sudden, four days of being cooped up inside during a snowstorm came bursting out.
All done!! Beautiful!! :)
(Emma channeling her best Kanye West impression...)
So here are our snow pics. Boy, do I need to work on photographing in snow. All that reflective white surface really throws off my metering! It's certainly not my best work, but oh well.
We had fun walking across the street to get a Rotisserie Chicken for dinner, and of course, a gingerbread cookie for Emma. She noshed on that cookie the entire walk home...
Roger doing a little joy-riding with our neighbor...
Sunset in Swan Point
Still got that cookie...
And finally, it might be a 'smart' car - but it ain't gonna dig itself out of the snow!
