played like a fiddle

She's been setting up her own photo shoots again . . . and has to show off the final portraits on the back of the camera. I handed her my old film camera one time to let her see it and she said, "But where does the picture show up? There's no screen!"

So my usually "cute and completely cooperative for pictures" daughter worked me over this morning. It's picture day at preschool and since I just did her 3 1/2 portraits for the family we decided to just order a small package for her scrapbook and the class picture. I told her last week and again this week that picture day was coming so it wasn't like it was a surprise. Then yesterday she started talking a bunch about how she didn't want to get her picture taken, then "well, maybe only 2 pictures", then this morning it was "I don't feel good, I don't want to have my picture done today" and "okay I'll go but I won't smile all the way, just a little". Obviously she was really consumed with the whole picture thing but I have no idea why.

We got her all ready this morning and I took her in and Ms. Debbie said I could stay and go with her for the portrait. We went back to see the set-up and it was really cute . . . I'll bid the gig for next year . . . didn't know about it until the night they had to pick the photographer for this year so the board said I could put in on it for next year instead . . . and Gennie was the 3rd kid there. We walked over to the set and talked with the lady and GENNIE FREAKED OUT!!! Completely! Crying and carrying on and clinging to my leg and everything! I talked to the lady and told her I am a photographer here in town and that she's used to seeing all the stuff so she let us check out her camera and the lights and everything. Still didn't make a difference . . . Gennie kept crying. So we let a few other kids go before us while I got her settled down, then it was our turn again. The lady let me sit beside her to see if that would help, and she held my hand but REFUSED to smile AT ALL. The lady had also offered to let me take the picture but that didn't work the first time she suggested it. So I told her just to take whatever she could get, even if Gennie didn't smile, because that's who she is today and we'd at least have something for this year. Then the lady asked again if she wanted me to push the button and Gennie finally said yes. So I went over and got behind the camera. Gennie sat right up and smiled her beautiful portrait smile and laughed and giggled and mugged for the camera. I took a couple since that's what the lady had been doing for each kid, just in case. Then she jumped right down and said, "Come on, Mommy, it's time to go in to play with the kids!" And she ran in and joined the rest of the class. I had to go get her for a good-bye hug . . . we're not going to repeat that catastrophe again, me leaving without a hug . . . and she took off to go do crafts with the kids. Rahhhhhhhh!

She just wanted me to take the picture. She played me like a fiddle with all the tears and baloney. I can't believe it! What a little turkey!!! I'm going to write a thank-you note to the picture lady for her patience and understanding . . . I've had clients like that and you just have to work with them anyway.

2 minute update

So, the ortho appt went well -- he's back to work as usual and has a few exercises that he has to do. He'll go back in 3 weeks to make sure the tendons and ligaments are tightening back up and that there's no permanent damage.

As for the dentist -- the mold was made and NOT ONE of the teeth came out in it! Bummer! Now we have to pay $98 each for the 7 teeth to be pulled in the next month, as well as pay for the partial. Yeehaw! Now we just have to wait for them to call us to say the partial has been made and is ready. Waiting, waiting . . .

8 weeks today

Has it really been 8 weeks already? He doesn't seem that old yet, but then again I can hardly remember life before him. I took these 2 month portraits this week so I could get them up here for the grandparents before he gets too much older. We compared them to Gennie's 2 mos portraits on the wall and wow, there's no denying this kid! He looks just like his sister! We also discovered that my photography style and skills have GREATLY improved in the past 3 years. I guess practice . . . and study . . . really does make perfect. Wonder what I'll think of my work from today in 3 more years?

Gennie had to get in on a few . . . really it was any excuse to get to roll on the quilt on the floor.

In other news . . . .

1. Kev goes to the orthopedic surgeon today for a follow-up visit. Long story short, he had a flare-up of his Hypophosphatasia and in the midst of it, dislocated his knee cap. All is better-ish now but he has to be seen to make sure he can go back to full duty at work, etc. The doc spoke of possibly doing exploratory orthoscopic surgery just to make sure everything is better but we'll seek a second opinion if he suggests that again. He's not the best doc, but gave the prescription for pain meds and that's what we really needed.

2. We'll run from that appt to the dentist for the appt to make the molds of his mouth to start the process for the partial dentures today. He called Tues. to find out how to start the process and the chick said they were already booking January. He reminded her of his situation and she immediately remembered and got him in today. Hopefully they will remember that the molding process may just take all the loose teeth out today and they'll have something ready in the way of a temporary partial so he isn't toothless for the next month while they make his real partial. He asked her if they would charge him the $98 per tooth even if they all come out in the mold and she said, "well, that wouldn't be fair, would it? I hope not."





3. I fit back into my Pre-Josiah jeans! Well, one pair at least . . . but that's big news for me! I've been stuck in my 2nd-trimester cargo pants since the delivery and I do like them but it's great to be back in my jeans! Reopens a huge part of my wardrobe!





4. We purchased my website template! Can't remember if I posted about that yet so I'll do it now. Now that I own the template, I just have to prepare all the text and galleries and Kev will upload it for me. I have the domain name I want but can't transfer it to the new hosting people until after Sept 28 so I'll get the info to everyone then so you can check me out! So excited!!!!!

tiny boy in a huge bed

so, as i'm typiung this i'm leaning as far back in the deskk chauir as I can, with him alseep on my shoulder. he's become quite the little

co=dependant guy . . .doesn't want to sleeep unless one ov us is holding him. Sorry abotu the spelling . . . cant' reach the backspace bottun from here.

here's the photos from his room now that it's finished. hes slept in his big bed twice for daytime baps but i'mn keeping im in our room at nite since e's not sleepng thru yet. hes' back in the bassinet, tho, because kev was starting to wrry that josiah will be able ot tip out of the swilng soon . . . hes' an active sleeper nad doesn't liek to stay in one position for long. \\

okay, enjoy the pix of his room. i took his 2 mos portraits this week and will post them as soon as i gaet them postprocessed . . . photoshop here i come. I also hjad a senior shoot last weekend that i'm finisheing up so i'll b e glued to this computer for awhile. better go see if i can la y him down for the rest of his nap. too hard to use the mous e with him crushing my shoulder muschles.

Mr. Popular - 7 weeks old

So I realized I've hardly put any pix of Josiah on the blog since the first week. Grandparents - please accept my abject apologies. Notice also that he's wearing a long-sleeved onesie . . . yes, the weather is already changing. We're getting down to the 30's at night already. So much for summer. Oh yeah, and the Hello My Name Is sticker is actually printed on the shirt. My aunt sent it to us . . . love her sense of humor!

Still can't tell who he looks like . . . well, he looks just like Gennie did at this age and since she looks just like Kev, I guess I'm outta luck. We can't wait until his nose grows a little more . . . still can't get the snot sucker from the hospital up there to clean him out. "He be snorin' not even be asleep!" - movie quote, don't ask.

This is how he looks most of the time . . . mouth wide open . . . fist inserted . . . chomping like crazy with those useless gums. Quite the little sucker, too, now that we've figured out the bottles. Must be over 8 pounds by now but we'll find out for sure at his 2 month appt.

I promise . . . more Josiah to come.

From Apple to Apple Pie

This was our weekend. My parents have a fabulous apple tree in their back yard and 2 years ago we started the tradition of getting together one evening and "putting up apple pies".

Dad cores,
I peel and slice,

Gennie and Mom make the goo and bag the end results,

and Kev and Josiah watched the football game.

We don't put them in crusts yet because the crust gets ruined when you try to defrost it . . . I don't know how the Mrs. Smith's people do it . . . we just make all the fillling and freeze the bags and then defrost them as needed. The first year we did it we had more than 160 apples to do . . . 12 pies worth . . . but last year they only got about 13 apples total so we just ate those with carmel apple dip. This year we did 105 apples and got 8 pies done.

And of course we had to bake one while we were working . . . the smell of apple pie baking really got us motivated to make more . . . and we all ate it when we were done.

Is she really old enough for this?

Or better yet, am I? I can't believe she started preschool today. Or that I'm old enough to have a kid starting preschool. Most of the time I still think of myself as just graduated from college . . . never mind that it's been 6 years now since I got out. And my 10 year HS reunion is this year, too . . . but since it was such a small school they don't do reunions for each class . . . they just pick a year and do an all-school reunion for whoever can come. But I digress . . .

She got up all excited this morning and didn't want to waste time eating breakfast or anything. I told her she had to let me get at least one photo as we left the house and she said I could do 3 and then some when we got there. I'm making a lunch box tin with a little card for each year she's in school. The front will be photos from the first day of each year and the back will be from the last day of school each year so we can compare and see how she's grown up. She's very excited about the lunch box now . . . ask her again when she's in HS and her mom is still making her take photos in her first-day-of-school outfit.


This is from the inside of the main room. Gennie calls this the "big inside slide." As soon as I took her inside she took off for the playhouse and the slide and I had to hunt her down to say goodbye. We're also getting her used to being called by her big name . . . Genesis, not Gennie . . . because I want her to use it instead. (I love her name and want to use it!) So her name tag said Genesis and when they asked her name in the group time she said it. Hopefully she'll realize it's not just for when she's in trouble . . . "Genesis Evette, you get back here!"

This was one of the group art projects they did. If you can't tell, the teal colored part is her finger and thumb prints. And she got to add the legs and they helped her write her name. What a fun idea with the fingerprints! Have to keep that one in mind for later.

As we were walking back to the car when I picked her up, she told me she doesn't want to come home. She wants to "stay there everyday forever"and not have to leave. Do you think she likes preschool?!