Girls with Gemstone Eyes

Matthew brought the girls to the cabin letting me have some much needed, uninterrupted work time. While they were away, he sent me this photo -- one of very few photos that managed to get them both smiling and looking at the camera. And one that highlights their gorgeous blue eyes. I love my girls. And I love my hubby. :)

The Ends

Hooray! This afternoon, a big ol' 2nd grader stepped off the bus and raced toward me.


I held out my arms to hug her, but she stopped and showed me her face instead, specifically the giant gap in her top teeth.



Mere minutes later, we were in a local chop shop with both girls saddled into cushy chairs for a trim. While Leah's was just a trim to correct some of my errors from a while back, Natalie's was her first "major" haircut -- the haircut that would release the ends of the hair that had been connected to her scalp since birth.


As I expected, she sat very still for the stylist, and kept catching glimpses of herself in the mirror. each time she did so, she grinned an excited little smile and worked down a thrill through her shoulders.


The stylist worked quickly and well and within maybe fifteen minutes, she was done, and we were introduced to the Brand New Natalie!


She was made for inverted bobs.


I took both girls out for a little hot cocoa treat to celebrate "the ends": the of the school year, the end of a baby tooth, and the many curly and blond ends of baby hair that were swept away off the floor.


The End. :)

Top Picks of our Pics

Why hello there! I have no profound introductory remarks to make, so we'll treat this like a last-minute decision to get a take-out pizza, and just dig in.

We caught our first "indoor" mouse using a toilet paper tube, some spreadable "cheese product" and a tall, unused garbage can. We set the trap in the kitchen, not far from where we've seen their sh--tuff lately, and voila! An adorable little rodent.


I "tagged" him with a bit of silver nail polish, before we dropped him off at the end of the street. He ran away from us, and up a tree. Not sure if he survived past the day, if he found his way back to our house, or if met up with his long lost lover. We caught one other mouse in the house since then who ran around in circles like a nutter, and we've heard others, so the trap will be set again for the foreseeable future.

We do know that these little guys can survive this weather. Meet "Om Noms".


I'm not sure if it's the same squirrel or two who are the brave ones of the flock in our back yard, or if they take turns nabbing the goodies we throw out. Whoever it is, s/he likes to come right up to the sliding door, even placing her/his front paws on the glass to look in, as if to say, "Oy! We're fresh outta bread heels out here!" Once I replenish the stock, s/he is content to let me take some photos and/or watch him/her munch away, mere inches from that fluffy little body.

Here are some other cold-weather survivors:


Matthew, Leah, and Grandma Jan participated in the Turkey Trot, a 5k run on Thanksgiving. Not just any Thanksgiving, but the coldest Thanksgiving in 20-some years. Leah did really well, thanks to the encouragement of her daddy, and Jan was a trooper despite her frozen toes. Matthew hopes the run, minus the single-digit temps, will become an annual tradition.

Much of our month so far has been filled with more "firsts." We recently endured our first major snowfall, and Matthew got to give our new snow blower its first major workout.


It blows! And that's a good thing!


I attended my first art gallery reception as one of the featured artists.


I survived my first year as a vendor at the uber-fun, 2010 No Coast Craft-o-Rama. I don't look busy in this photo, but this was taken on Friday early evening, before things really took off for the night, and well before the madness ensued the next day. Later on in the show, it was nearly impossible to take a photo of the booth as it was constantly crowded with shoppers, eager to shed a few pounds of their moola and cross off the names on their shopping list.


I attribute my success to many things. One was making a ton of specific lake papercuts, including Superior, Michigan, Minnetonka, etc. Another was having a a brand new fancy, schmancy gridwall display to show off all those lake pieces. A third was being across the hall from the wickedly wonderful Adam Turman and the crowd of adoring fans that flocked to his double booth like the rock star he is. A fourth factor is that people were in a buying mood. Most people who made a purchase mentioned that they would be giving the piece or the card to someone else, and that it would be "perfect" for them. I can't tell you how much my heart and ego swelled to hear these tales. The final and most important factor was having exceptional help. Matthew's folks were able to take care of the girls and the dog, leaving Matthew as my capable assistant, cheerleader, and show coach. I could not have done it without my sweetheart, and his sweet folks. Thanks again, guys.

Matthew has taught Leah how to play chess, and the two of them match wits nearly every day. It seems that Leah's developing a good instinct for the game, and it's fun to hear their dialogue about strategies and "what-ifs."



Both girls have re-discovered how much they like grapefruit, although Natalie's technique has changed somewhat.


This one may gross you out a bit, but I think it's actually kind of cool. Leah's chapped lips worsened to a case of impetigo, and then her picking on that may have lead to a nasty little cuticle infection.


Don't worry, it's much better now. I was impressed with the size of the pus sac and her body's gruesome way of trying to fight off these heebie-jeebies.

To round out our little tour of what we've been up to, here's a cute one of Matthew and his baby girl, on their way back into the house, and out of the sub-zero windchill.


Later that day, Natalie came downstairs after a non-nap, and she was sporting this custom outfit that cracked us up.


This girl re-defines "goofy" every day.


Oh, and my Christmas cactus bloomed again! I didn't kill it afterall!

Monday Morning

Both girls had the day off from school this morning, so we took advantage of that and a gorgeous morning and headed downtown to our local main street.

After dropping a few things off at the post office, we indulged in some treats at the bakery. The girls shared a cookie, while I had my favorite combination: a pain au chocolat (or "Chocolatine" as they were called in France) and a double espresso. Decadent and flavorful. Natalie provided a little "whine" to our petit dejeuner, but otherwise is was parfait. ;)


We wiped our crumbs from our laps and walked down to the water with some expired buns, set on feeding the myriad sunfish that gather at the end of the dock. On the way, we found some spent rose bushes. Since we couldn't stop and smell the roses, I stopped and shot the rosehips. That counts, right?


The fish were a no-show, but I told the girls to throw in a few bits to see if any lunkers (a.k.a. gi-normous carp) came up from the murky depths for a nibble.


Still, no fish, but soon entered about six or seven gulls, squawking and screeching and eyeing the goodies. They were timid about entering the water while we watched, but they hung around, modeled a bit for me, and continually pestered one another.






After a bit, they all flew away, and at the same time some crows began calling to one another. Soon thereafter, two bald eagles flew overhead. I'm guessing these events were not coincidental, and I kicked myself for not bringing my bigger zoom lens -- not that I could have changed it AND shot a decent pic anyway.


Still, the avian wildlife we saw more than made up for the lack of fishies. We said good bye to the birds and took a spin through the tiny pet shop. I paused almost too long at the baby dumbo rats for sale -- they were SO CUTE -- then we kept moving and ended our trip at the library. With a bag loaded with new books, we came home happy and satisfied.

It was a lovely way to spend some free morning hours, and I couldn't imagine two girls with whom I'd have rather spent it.

New Camera = Loads of Fun

With the actual NEED for both of us to have cameras coming up more and more, Matthew and I decided it was high time to finally buy a second camera. We've really enjoyed the shots we've taken with our Canon Powershot SD 1000, and we wanted to step it up with number two. We looked at the lovely Panasonic Lumix with the ample digital zoom and HD video capability, but ultimately, I persuaded Matthew to take the leap of faith with me into the world of dSLRs. After some research online, a few, informative chats with friends and camera store employees, and deep soul-searching, I selected the Canon T1i as my golden ticket. Costco had a lens and gadget package offer I couldn't refuse and I am now a proud owner of this beautiful device.
I am still a complete novice with it, but the controls and menu are fairly in line with the point-and-shoot we're used to, so that helps. Basically, it's a thrill to use, and I am amazed at the difference in not only how the photos have turned out, but also in what conditions I've been able to shoot. It's opening up a whole new world of photo capabilities that were previously impossible in our shady house and yard. Oh, and yes, I do love the cha-click of that shutter opening and closing.

Knowing that I'm still new at this, that these were not taken under ideal circumstances, and that they've been reduced to fit on your screen, please don't throw any tomatoes at my recent batch of show and tell pics. Here we go!

Jack was my first official subject, and like a good greyhound, he stood statue-like under the golden canopy of changing leaves for this one, my first favorite photo from my new camera:


Then, onto some flowers still showing their colors in mid-October at the Arboretum. I could quite get the vividness of the purple in these little flowers, but I like the depth of field in this photo:

Here again, the red is a little too pink, but I think I nabbed the softness of the petals, the perfection of the rain drops, and that lovely yellow glow from the inside of this rose blossom:

On to moving targets, here's my papa (hi, Dad!):


Leah, with her growing collection of these infectious Silly Bandz:


And Natalie, posing on the deck in her Halloween costume:


Speaking of Halloween, here are the girls in full outfits. Natalie is a chef who says she'll cook us all a mean-a pizza pie. Leah is a veterinarian, poised with syringe and stethoscope, and evidently not wearing any shoes.


Both girls brought home enough candy to last them until next year, and enjoyed the entire weekend in their alter egos.

To close, one last photo of Nattie on her bike. With practice at preschool, she's getting this peddling thing down pretty well and can cruise up and down the street a few feet at a time on her own (with training wheels, that is). Something about those little rosy cheeks makes me like this one a whole lot:


I can't promise the blog posts will be any more frequent, especially as we near the holiday season and my work picks up big time, but I will do my best to take even more kick-butt photos to include with the posts I do manage to write. Thanks for joining me! See you soon.

Day Ones

Another year has passed, the Earth has completed another race around the sun, the air coaxes goosebumps on our arms, and the 2010-11 school year is off with a bang. Last week, Leah began her year as a first grader, attending the same Spanish Immersion program as she started with Kindergarten last year. She exuded confidence and, thankfully, lacked any sense of that "Yeah, Mom, I knoooooow" attitude that I expect many of her peers have by now. You can sense her enthusiasm in her porch photo here:

This week was Natalie's turn for a first day. She'll be attending a half-day pre-school program a few days a week. Starting "slow and easy" is probably more for my sake than hers. She is my baby after all. She was very excited, super prepared, and quite thrilled to be able to use my old backpack from college. I washed and dried it the night before and left it on her chair for her to find in the morning. According to my morning report, she had it on since 6:30 a.m. She even picked out her own outfit and dressed herself head to toe. This girl was born ready. Check it out:

Am I ready? I think so. I will make really good use of the time she's playing, and hopefully be able to enjoy more of the time we share. Knowing she is so adroit at fitting in and playing well helps a ton. Now if only I could do the same. ;)

How to Age your Kid in 5 Minutes

I finally cut Natalie's hair. Maybe it's because she's the baby and I don't want her to go through any of those rites of passage that signify aging, maybe it's because I had hopes that she would be the kid that didn't mind having her hair brushed every day, or maybe it's because I didn't want to risk marring her innate "cute" factor, but I haven't cut Natalie's hair at all. Not even to get gum out.

By this age, Leah had been having her bangs cut fairly regularly and was nearing her first major haircut. But, and I sadly admit this, Natalie does not have Leah's hair. Incidentally, Natalie's fingernails, ear wax and hair grow slower and less abundantly than Leah's. So, on a bit of a whim last night after dinner, I asked, "Natalie, would you like to get some bangs tonight?" To which she giggled and cheered in approval.

Out came the good scissors and a comb, and we set up a makeshift salon on the back deck. A quick "Before" shot...


And we dug in. Look at how much these long bangs pain her. They have got to go.


And go they do! And already smiles and laughter from the little one!


And here's the "After:"

Who is this bright-eyed three-year old? It couldn't possibly be the same little tyke sitting in this chair five minutes ago! As soon as I'd cut it, I kicked myself a bit for not doing this sooner. It is such an improvement to be able to see her face!

This past week, we also rang in Leah's birthday. We rode through the rain in the Tour de Tonka before heading up to the cabin for the lake association's annual picnic and games, as well as some delicious homemade pizzas for dinner. It turned out to be a very busy and beautiful day. A week later, Leah had her friends join her at a nearby community farm for a belated birthday party. A fun mix of small farm life, amazing cupcakes, and mega crazy kids.


I also tried to recreate some scrumptious and substantial corn flake crusted, french toast that I enjoyed at Wishbone in Chicago years ago. Using this kid-friendly recipe, the girls and I putzed through the steps and turned out some rather tasty dippers. By themselves, they're not that sweet, which is fine considering we drowned them in syrup, but I'm tempted to try different, more sinful cereals to coat these bad boys. Coco Roos, perhaps? :)

That's it for this post. Go Twins!

G-bye, June. HiYa, July!

Once again, I've left you with a sizable gap in time between blog posts. I did this so you could fully absorb the awesomeness of the last post and prepare yourself for still more awesomeness in this one. Yeah, completely planned this out to the minute. Yeah. ;)

Enough of that. On to the goings on!

Natalie has recently taken to drawing little people with great big eyes and heads, and little bitty arms and legs. Here, she's posing with one of her creations on the big Magna Doodle.


We all took a trip up north to visit family and take in some nearly perfect summer days. We enjoyed the newly renovated park by the lake:

Natalie on the springy sea horse:


Leah, halfway up the swirly slide:


Then we returned to my folks' house for some outdoor sightseeing of Mom and Dad's hard-earned gardening efforts.

Mom de-weeding between the brick border:


A peony with salvia in the background:


A clutch of boldly bright dianthus (my camera couldn't seem to grab the color as it was):


Yellow, evening primrose:


And a monarch foraging in a huge lily blossom:


Of course, no June tour of the gardens would be complete without seeing some bug pornography. These nasty little buggers are the dreaded rose chafers, or what Mom calls "f*ckin bugs." When they hatch from the ground, they swarm the plants, eating and mating, mating and eating. I still cringe when I see them:


Soon after we returned home, we welcomed some of the up north crew to our place to gather and attend a Twins game. Before the game started, my brother was honored in a ceremony for his outstanding commitment to keeping DUI-ers off the roads. He was in an elite group of officers from across the state and we cheered like obnoxious children when we saw the group emerge onto the field. I was too zoomed in at the time to make it clear, but this is my brother on the gi-normous t.v. screen at Target Field:


And here he is making small talk with T.C. Bear (mustachioed in honor of pitcher Carl Pavano that night):


We are so stinkin' proud of you, Lyan! Keep kickin' butt out there!

This was my first time at the new ballpark, and I think it is GORGEOUS! We found Matthew's family name on the Tradition Wall (a gift to his Dad and uncle):


Took the obligatory "in the seats" shot:


And the obligatory "from the seats" shot (I loved how monochromatic the skyline looked as the sun set behind us):


Back home once again, we've been thoroughly enjoying our CSA share this year -- our first, officially. We also bought a meat share from an organic lamb, beef and chicken farm. One night, we dined on this feast: A huge beef sirloin (most of which we saved for another meal) and a sugar snap pea, potato, fennel and mustard salad. Delicious!


Most recently, we rang in Nat-o's third birthday! She picked out a chocolate cake from the grocery store. It was decorated like a picnic blanket with plastic ants and a lady-finger/pink frosting hot dog. Natalie went straight for the hot dog and it was gone in a flash.


And finally, we leave you with another shot of one of the elusive "Whitey" squirrels in our neighborhood. This one perched atop our short woodpile to munch on something tasty.


Thanks for tuning in once again! I hope you've enjoyed the show! As always, I encourage you to visit my shop blog as well to see what I've been doing there.