lets make this speedy

Lets me just get back on track and do quick recap in pictures.

E Week {Eggs, Elephants, Ears, Eating}

F Week {Fort, Fingers, Frogs (even catching a few), Four, Flour, French Fries, Foam, Fish, Feet}

imagination city

From talking lions {which really are tigers} to dancing dinosaurs, imagination play has become an everyday activity.  Madison loves having Mommy play on the floor where to road rug lies.  We take our dinosaurs to the beach or create wonderful food masterpieces, like pickle and spaghetti sauce sandwiches. 

 

I love these moments {which aren't really moments when they occur 5 times a day}.  Seeing her imagination and feeling like I can get a sense of what she is thinking.  Although potty, peeing and pooping are frequent conversational starters, I realize that what her little world is about.  Eating, sleeping, bodily functions and emotions are what our dinosaurs do each and everyday. 

Sad lions {tigers}.

Laughing lions {tigers}.

Crying lions {tigers}.

Farting lions {tigers}.

Kissing dinoslions {tigers}.

What a world.  Mommy and Daddy are just her visitors while the real activity lies with her dinosaurs or lions {tigers}.

the real blue bonnet pictures

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this photo shoot we had with the children.  Ben did such a great job!  Thank you for your persistence and amazing photography skills.  Ben made the prop with old wood from a torn down house.  The stand was made completely free!!

The first photo session:

Madison tired = cranky

Carson happy = lots of smiles

Middle of the day = Super, super sunny = lots of squinting

Pictures good = but we want better

Need I say more!

Second session:

Naps taken = 2 happy babies

Evening = Perfect lighting

Great posing = Perfect pictures

Love this one as well.  Carson's expression is precious. "What is happening?!?!"

My continuous positioning of the children.  Run in, set up, run out.  Repeat 106 times.  Workout completed for this day.

Madison was completely loving having her picture taken {this day!}.  Usually Mommy is doing something crazy, trying to get a genuine, non corny smile out of her.  This day....She smiled like little Miss America!  I LOVE these pictures!!!!

{Side note:  Ben and I did not come up with this idea.  We found this picture on the Internet.}

sand for supper

Our day began with a simple trip to the beach but ended with flash flooding roads and highways, leading to an extra 3+ hour ride home.

I was never annoyed, hungry or hateful towards the rain {who am I trying to kid}.  I could not believe the intensity of the sheets of rain coming down.  Yes, sheets!  I mean one minute we are driving through a monsoon {which was bad enough} and the next we are driving through Hurricane Yolanda {I just made that up}.  The cars were "swimming" which was repeated all evening by my daughter.  Luckily I packed extra formula for Carson because he was over sitting in the carseat, he wanted to lay down in his bed.  Madison enjoyed watching her movies in the front seat and entertaining us with her weather woman comments.

"To much rain. No. No"

"Cars swimmin' mommy."

"Oh, Oh Mommy.  Car stuck."

There were cars stuck in the road, on the side, in the middle of a park and sitting in water up to the hood.  I could not believe the craziness.  We were stranded in that parking lot for over an hour.  We then hurried to get out while the rain had slowed, causing the roads to clear minimally.  The problem was we needed to get on the bridges but to get there you had to go under a few.  That was the problem.  Anything at that level was flooded or close enough we could not get through.  Patients and prayer finally brought us to a "non" flooded zone and we did a complete back track.  Instead of an 1 1/2 hour trip home we enjoyed a leisurely 5 hour trip.

Luckily the start of the day was a blast.  Ben enjoyed building a castle which was prohibited to Madison's destructive hands.  We played in the ocean, my daughter's true love.  Carson took a nap and also fed himself with hand fulls worth of sand.

Watching and assisting Carson feed himself the sand.  I love her face, "Carson, why you doing that?!?!"

"Mom, did you just see what Carson did!"

I mean, every time I turned around this was happening!

Finally Dad gave in and let the kids play and eat the castle.  We were asked about Ben's abilities about 4 different times, compliments every time.  Does he have to be so awesome all the time?!?!

The suffering post beach.  And no he said "I thought I didn't need sunscreen?"  No, he is a paranoid fanatic.