August 9th, 2010
In celebration of sunshine, not rain, I took a hike with my daughter, my niece, and her parents, at Ledges State Park, a favorite childhood haunt. The girls hiked like little troopers through the thick woods, picking up centipedes and interesting leaves along the way. As we approached an area of dense overgrowth, we weren’t sure which way to go. My daughter saved the day by consulting her little compass — attached to her festive walking stick, along with a Happy Meal princess doll — and proclaimed “We need to head north!” (Her navigation skills aren’t to be trusted.) We ended up walking and listening for water, and were eventually rewarded for our efforts with a meandering creek bed. Shoes came off, and little girls splashed for hours in the cool, clear water. We skipped rocks, poked at moss, counted dragonflies, and thoroughly enjoyed a lazy summer Sunday. We have another appointment with Mother Nature in a week or so.
3 Comments | In: Art and Photos | tags: Centipedes, Creek, Daughter, Family, Hiking, Ledges State Park, Mother Nature, Nature, Niece, Outdoors, Splashing, Summer, Water. | #
June 22nd, 2010
What better way to celebrate Summer Solstice than to spend a couple of quarters on lukewarm orange Kool-Aid? That’s just what my daughter and I did when we came across these sweet siblings running up and down the sidewalk, flagging down drivers-by. Could you have refused these sweet faces? I couldn’t. For half a dollar, we got a true taste of summer, and a reminder of why Iowa is so wonderful.
2 Comments | In: Art and Photos | tags: Daughter, Half dollar, Iowa, Kool-Aid, Kool-Aid stand, Quarter, Siblings, Sidewalk, Solstice, Summer. | #
May 2nd, 2010
We visited Disney’s Magic Kingdom on Saturday, and here are a few of the pictures we took. I was wowed by the cheerful hospitality every ‘cast member’ extended — Disney employees are knowledgeable, friendly, and 100% there to make sure every guest has a great time. If you’re on the fence about going to Disney, let me push you to the other side. The Magic Kingdom is an unforgettable experience, especially for little girls that are enchanted with princesses!
1 Comment | In: Art and Photos, Family Matters | tags: Cinderella, Cinderella's Castle, Daughter, Disney, Disney World, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Orlando, Princess, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, The Magic Kingdom, Tinkerbelle, Vacation. | #
April 29th, 2010
Just wanted to share a few photos from our trip to Sanibel Island, FL. We had such a peaceful time. Our daughter enjoyed her first visit to the ocean, and we enjoyed the relaxed island lifestyle, which included fantastic al fresco dining, and genuinely friendly people. Enjoy these photos, but forgive the flaws as they are unedited!
3 Comments | In: Art and Photos, Family Matters | tags: Beach, Daughter, FL, Florida, Mitchell's Sandcastles, Ocean, Sanibel Island, Seashells, Vacation. | #
March 30th, 2010
My image for this week’s Sweet Shot Tuesday (a photography challenge created by Darcy over at My3Boybarians) captures my friend’s baby girl, Meredith, and the big ice cream cone her mom gave her to snack on while we grocery shopped.
As it happens, the warm store and cold ice cream collided into a goopy mess, and we ended up busting into a box of baby wipes we hadn’t yet paid for to remove sticky from her chin. She ended up with a vanilla goatee that made her look exactly like Colonel Sanders!
And then, as if to say “Yes, I am two!” she pulled every last baby wipe out of the box and was passing them out to fellow shoppers as we made our way through the market. Of course, I didn’t stop her. I was encouraging her and laughing along with her. Her mom, however, was a little exasperated.
My only regret? That this photo was taken with my Blackberry camera and required much editing before it was even remotely worthy of Sweet Shot Tuesday. But I had to share because I love that little girl and her ooey-gooey face!
No Comments | In: Art and Photos | tags: Baby wipes, Colonel Sanders, Grocery shopping, Ice cream, Meredith, My3Boybarians, Ooey-gooey, Sweet Shot Tuesday. | #
March 23rd, 2010
My photo for this week’s Sweet Shot Day (a photography challenge created by Darcy over at My3Boybarians) perfectly captures my sweet grandson’s blond curls, and (mostly) sweet disposition.
On Saturday, he wandered our house in his pjs, one sock missing, looking for adventures, large or small. Whenever the dog came near him, he yelled “Stop it, Max!” and then died laughing. And when my daughter pulled out the doctor kit, he instantly dropped to the floor, eager to be the patient.
It’s fun having a little boy around. It’s been awhile, and I forgot how much they fart, and how much they like to announce that they just farted. I forgot how busy they are … surely little boys invented multitasking. And I forgot how good it feels when they haul their sleepy bodies up into Grandma’s lap, dragging a blankie and a stuffed lamb with them, and wiggle around until they find the perfect spot for the very last snuggle of the day.
1 Comment | In: Art and Photos | tags: Art and Photos, Blond, Boy, Curls, grandma, Grandson, My3Boybarians, Sweet Shot Tuesday. | #
March 16th, 2010
For the inaugural Sweet Shot Day — a photography challenge created by Darcy over at My3Boybarians, I had to share this photo taken during a recent hike on the first day that really felt like Spring.
We shook off the weariness of our lost hour of sleep on Sunday by hiking to the pond up the way from our house. Rainboots were required attire, as the theme of the day was ’sog.’ Water everywhere. But since we were dressed for the occasion, we made no effort to avoid the puddles … we ran, jumped, skipped and splashed through every one!
We took along Daddy, Raggedy Ann, and our trusty walking sticks. Daughter’s has a compass and a Polly Pocket tied in among neon pipe-cleaners, and a turquoise bandanna. Mine clanks like a child’s tambourine because of the beer bottle tops I’ve nailed on. Her compass was useful as we navigated the far-fetched corners of her imagination. We marched and sang and talked to the birds. And — rather loudly — thanked God for a sweet, sun-kissed day.
5 Comments | In: Art and Photos | tags: compass, Daughter, girl, happy, Imagination, Nature, Polly Pocket, puddles, Raggedy Ann, spring, Sun-kissed, walking stik. | #
February 21st, 2010
I’m not a gifted painter. But I love to paint nonetheless. My best friend asked for a painting for her new office, and here’s what she’s getting. This is the second acrylic painting I’ve ever made. Something about it really, really bothers me. It could just be that I’m not a gifted painter.
No Comments | In: Art and Photos | tags: Acrylic, Best friend, Bother, Painting. | #
