Gearing Up

You probably remember past years and the photo contest I've been a part of for awhile. We have a 2-week extension to take pictures, but I'm starting to go through what I've taken and set some aside. So pretty soon you'll start seeing things like this:

along with shameless pleas for votes. But don't worry...this kind of voting is just my pictures against my other pictures! When my top photos in each category are chosen, then they'll go up against my friends' pictures, and that voting will be done by art students in a college local to Heidi, the woman running the contest.

So please don't mind me as I dive back into Lightroom for awhile.

Sleepover

Last night, Jasmine invited Bekah to a sleepover in her room.
Hudson wanted in on the fun too, and Jasmine kindly obliged.

We had a hard time fitting them all in there, but it worked!

They went to sleep pretty quickly (I wasn't really sure if they would).

When we got up this morning, Hudson was on the couch, which is his usual morning routine. 

Maybe next time Hudson and Bekah will have Jasmine sleep on their floor!

Cute Stories, edition 2903

1. Josh was dishing out ice cream for the kids. Hudson said, "I don't want a lot!" and had him put some back.

2. Jasmine told me tonight she'd like to be a "teacher in a school" when she grows up. She asked how old you had to be to teach, and I told her 22. But then I told her she could graduate at 17 if she wanted, so she could start teaching at 21, and she said, "it would be my prize!!"
I asked what she wanted to teach, and she said:
"I'll teach little kids math, and a little bit older kids I'll teach science, and to bigger kids, I'll teach spelling!"

(I should mention that this is the same child who fought me, tooth and nail, to try to get out of spelling today, and who asked me a month ago why we had to learn math.)

3. We've started (very gradually) to start learning Spanish. I need something more official so we can all really learn it, but at this point they watch a DVD about all things related to waking up in the morning.
Jasmine told me she'll start going up to someone and saying "hola" to them, to see if they speak Spanish. If they don't answer, she'll know they speak English.
I can't get through to her that it's not the best way to go about it, but in her mind, it's foolproof!

4. Jasmine keeps calling the gusts of wind "turning into a gal." (It's not a gale. it's a softer a). Tonight she  told me she hoped it wouldn't turn into a ....ready for this?? ...a "Galilee." I think someone has her stories jumbled!

Busy Weekend

We're trying to do all the things around here we should have been doing for the past few years. It makes our weekends full of fun and new experiences, which, of course, means pictures.

Saturday we went to the Lockport Cave. It's a manmade cave by the canal in Lockport, created to use the water to power factories in the 1860s. It was a fascinating outing, and the kids enjoyed it even more than we did!
The old locks:

The only picture I got in the cave; we kept getting "cave kisses," i.e. drops of water on us, and didn't want to risk anything! 

Then over to the little museum to learn a little more (Jasmine requested that we stop there!)

Sunday was to a Fairy Day at one of the parks nearby. Hudson slept through most of it, but the girls loved it!

We saw Mother Goose telling the story of Goldilocks:

Even before she had finished asking for a volunteer to play Goldilocks. my little Goldy had her hand up. She was quite the ham!!

They wrote wishes on butterflies and hung them in the tree, made wands and masks, and got their faces painted.

It was a lot of fun, and the kids requested that we go back. I had to break it to them that we won't be here for it next year, but that we'll find other things that we enjoy in Orlando!!

Stories

1.
Jasmine saw this sign, noted the capitalization, and declared: "She's going to be RICH!"

2. Hudson enjoyed playing Josh's new "app-pad," (known as an iPad to everyone else) for awhile tonight. But then he got upset when the girls had a chance to use it. He showed his inner 13-year-old girl when he declared, "they don't like me. No one doesn't like me!" because the girls wouldn't let him play.

3. Yes, Bekah's roaring. No, I don't know why.

4. Jasmine told us this evening that Hudson was making good sentences. She said, "maybe when he's 5 he'll make really good sentences," and proceeded to elaborate with the most incomprehensible, runon series of words to emphasize her point.

5. I like toddler boys. 'nuff said.

Limbo

We're all learning to live in limbo.
But hopefully not for too much longer.
Because this is how we're feeling some days:

That pretty much sums it up.

We have someone coming to see the house a second time tomorrow afternoon, and we're on yesterday's showing's "short list." (not sure how many we're up against on that short list!) So things are looking really good!

Which is good. Sure, I'm getting quicker at deep-cleaning the kitchen and bathroom, putting away toys and vacuuming, but it's getting old. Even older is the constant answer of "sorry kids, it's packed!" 

But Florida is looking more real. Like it's somewhere we might be before much longer. and that makes me VERY happy, and much more willing to go out of my way and bake banana bread in an 84-degree house to make the house smell homey. 

(and run the window a/c and all the fans to keep it below 84 when they come through!!)

No wonder!

I couldn't figure out why I feel like my eyes are bugging out of my head.

Until I realized:
--the kids have spent most of the morning arguing (mostly Jasmine in the middle of things)
--I just spent 2 1/2 hours doing a project that should have taken 20 minutes, thanks to problems with Java's update not being compatible with the software needed to work on it
--I was up 2 hours later than normal, trying to get Photoshop Elements to play nice. That's my next project
--I was up two hours later than normal last night

but...life is good...
--we had two people walk through the house yesterday. I haven't heard an official report, but I know that the second ones to walk through really liked it. They may come back, possibly this weekend.
--we have another scheduled showing tomorrow
--the house looked incredible
--the sunshine and warm weather is perfect
--I have a bunch of veggies in my garden
--I did finally finish that project mentioned above
--I put something new in the store!

--I have something REALLY COOL in the store next week. Something I'm excited to play with, and something I'm hoping everyone will want to use too :D

--I have cute kids

--And...I scrapped! I'm not planning on making a habit of it or anything, but I had fun!

Surprises

1. I got a message on Facebook last week from one of my dear friends. She wanted to know if I was available to do pictures for a friend of hers two days from then. I said sure, and met the sweetest baby. Oh my goodness, what a doll.
You can see all the pictures on my photography site here.

2. The house is on the market!! With all we've done over the past month I really shouldn't be surprised by this change, but it's been something I longed for SO long, it's hard to believe it's actually happening. Much like when I finally met Josh and couldn't believe I was finally getting married!

3. I still haven't learned not to start a list before I've thought through if I have more than 2 things to say.

4. I took new pictures of fireworks on Wednesday. I love taking pictures of fireworks, because you never know what you're gonna get! I linked (above) to my portfolio with the pictures, but I'll post a couple here, because otherwise this looks like a really dull post!