Photoshoot

We were outside enjoying the fine weather and hammock and the lighting was lovely so I ran in and grabbed my camera and took some shots of the kids. Jamie, Mom and Dad Steed, have I told you I love my camera and am very grateful!?

I was pleased with Emma's shots. She can be tricky with smiles, the pouty look comes naturally.

Weston on the other hand, is my photogenic child but something about a full week of Kindergarten does things to a boy I guess.

Andrew doesn't have the patience for a photo shoot (or rather I don't) but I stole this shot.

Then I took a crack at group photos...

...So which shot should I blow up for my wall?

The View From Friday

Crowes Nest Farm

Andrew and I went with Weston's class for a field trip to Crowe's Nest Farm. It was fun and nice of his teacher to allow Andrew to tag along.

Here's Mrs. Duhon's bears. Each class at Naumann has a mascot. Emma's a Fentress' frog. The girl in front is a whole head taller than all the other kids in class.

Andrew having a riotously good time on the hay ride.

Milking demonstration

Fairy Wood- they have a area with fairies amongst the trees.

lest we should forget our Texas pride

New calf

Kindergartener-sized horses

Pretty little garden area

Brothers leaving the farm

Life's little pleasures

It's a little sad what I've come to. Here's what excited me today:

1. Finding a Bed Bath and Beyond coupon in my cooking magazine so I could finally use my gift cards to get the kitchen appliance I need to replace. Wahoo!

2. The amazing weather here that allowed me to turn off the air, throw open all the windows and make soup. Weston peeled the potatoes and carrots, Andrew set the table, and Emma made corn muffins. Motherhood giddiness. Then I wrote it off as a perfect day when I remembered I still had honey butter in the fridge to use on the corn muffins. Doesn't get any better than this.

3. Getting the popcorn kernel out of Andrew's nose without a Dr. visit. Would probably have been easier if the kid knew how to blow his nose. He sniffs up instead, problematic. I spent the first hour trying to teach him how to blow, that would've made a fun video.

I love that he's wearing his "I Still Live With My Parents" shirt in this picture.

Highly recommend this type of aspirator. It covers the nostril instead of going up inside. Especially useful for bigger noses (non-newborn). Sure beats the cover the mouth and suck the nose with your mouth method my dad recommended, although we were almost there. Wish I could say this aspirator was all it took though.

Dr. Emma Ketchup

I hope you Dr. Emma fans are grateful, I went through some trouble for ya'll to find this picture and post it here. But here's the dork we all know and love with some new material for your enjoyment. Well, okay some not so new, I haven't posted quotes in ages.

Emma- "How do you laugh in Spanish?"

Jamie- "How are you?"

Andrew- "I'm good because I'm perfect and I'm naked."

Emma- "Ms. Z (her math teacher) is too normal. Yeah, she's like old-fashioned like in movies with just a chalkboard and weirdo things. I don't understand her."

Mom- "Go clean that mess in the hall."

Weston- "There's no hall in this house."

Mom-"What do you call that area outside your door?"

Weston- "That 'short straight floor thing'."

Andrew- "Price Krispies" (a favorite breakfast)

Weston- "The only ones that can do magic is God and superheroes"

Andrew- (while riding a rocking horse in his underwear)

"Rich, you're sumpeen else"

Weston- "You know how I know when to sneak into your room? I watch the light under my door and when I don't see the light anymore I know it's time to sneak. I try to sneak really quietly but sometimes I step on paper."

Andrew- "Peek- ee-boo"

One of Andrew's favorite snacks- "Pistachio of Liberty"

While driving around Weston just started giggling to himself "I just bemembered something James did." (Weston says "bemember" a lot and I smile and don't correct him because I think it's cute. Forgive me son, I hope you don't get teased and develop a complex)

Weston calls the guardrail that comes down at traintracks the "ding-ding gate"

Weston refers to making new friends as "make up a friend"

Andrew calls avocados "ollo-callos"

One day I was sitting next to Jamie at the table and commented on his beautiful eyes. Andrew frantically crawled across the table imploring "what about MY beautiful eyes!?" in seconds he was literally in my face demanding my undivided attention (the jealous creature, I always say, "where love is, there's Andrew also?")

Emma- (talking about Helaman's army)- "The Snipling Horrors"

Weston- "What if you run through a snowman?"

Andrew- (while inhaling a bowl of rice) "I'm a rice monger"

Andrew- "Mom, you're fantastic"

You're not from these parts are you?

Emma (looking at all the Longhorn paraphernalia at Walmart)- "Why's there so many ox stuff around Texas?"

Emma- "I want some of that Bellflower ice cream!" (Blue Bell)

P.S. I spent a lot of time going through this and changing the color and size of text to make it more interesting and easy to follow (I like having a different color assigned for each person). But when I posted none of that showed up (except a few bold lines). Grrr! Anyone else have this problem and have advice for me?

Happy 67th

Oops I forgot to publish Andrew's birthday post. Andrew told everyone he turned 67 or 62 or sometimes it was just 6. And then he told his aunt he was having a hot dog cake for his birthday. She was impressed and asked for a picture. Sorry Shay, it was just a Marble Slab ice cream cake with an oreo on top (I had a Groupon). He did request hot dogs for dinner. I love how he gets so excited about little things like McDonalds for lunch and a box of M&Ms as a gift, "I'm so exciting!"