Apple Shoot: Take #2

So these are the black-n-whites I was telling you about. It is funny how color can completely change what a picture looks like. When it is in b&w it almost feels like it takes you back in time. Sometimes I can't decide which I like better so I am glad that I am able to take both with my camera. Don't you love digital? I was SOOOOO sceptical of it when it first came out..you know, I needed to have the pictures in hand. Now, it is a rarity if I print any of them! But my pictures are my pride and joy. I believe I have somewhere around 6,000 pictures (maybe more) since Grant was born. I am on my 4th digital camera too. I have always said that if my house starts on fire I would of course make sure my kids and hubby were out safe, but I wouldn't leave without my hard drive! Now, I think I will grab my new camera too!

I got a new lens for it about 2 weeks ago and I love it! It has more of a range so I can zoom in on things that are farther away now. That means I can be sneaky and get pictures of the kids from a distance! The lens is a little bigger but the versatility it gives me is an even trade-off.

Don't worry, they get cuter...

Just kickin' back havin' a little snack!

Mom, do you have to take pictures of everything?

Oh, you think so, huh!

Look at those big eyes!

What a little sweet pea.

And her CRAZY big brother!

Nice hat ya got there, Tootie!

HEY, that's not a HAT! Its a plastic bowl, you silly pants!

Such a little stinker!

Ooop, one of those pesky apple peals again!

Audrey ate and ate on this apple and she carried the thing around for over an hour. If I tried to take it away from her she would scream and swat at my hand. Very protective of her prized possession. She set it on the floor a few times too, but if I tried to rinse the hair and fuzz off of it I got the same reaction so I just let her eat the dirty old thing! I would have never let that happen when Grant was little. His nuk was washed every time it hit the floor...NOT Tooties. She's lucky if I wipe it on my shirt to clean it off! I also figure, whats the difference? I am sure daycare doesn't' have time or doesn't see every time that nasty thing is dropped on the floor so why bother at home? Hey, it's good for the immune system, right?

This little bugger is ADDICTED to his LEGO Batman game. I can already tell that I am going to have to limit his play time. He could play that thing for hours. And it is funny to watch because he gets SO into it and his little hands don't fit the controllers very well so he has figured out a way to bypass his handicap. Hard to explain, but cute to watch and actually very impressive. I am often blown away by everything that kids pick up on. Sometimes he even out wits me!

I suppose I better find something "productive" to do. I may get to go out for a bit tonight if Lisa would ever call me! Starting to think I have been stood up.

The "Apples" Of My Eye

I had the day "off" on Monday...off of work that is...but Mom Duty never ends! Grandma Sue was taking a much needed vacation in Florida this week and daycare was full on Monday, so I got to stay home all day and hang out with the kiddos. We watched Tinkerbell (yep, Grant's idea and he even liked it!) played cars and doctor, had grilled cheese for lunch...you know, all the fun stuff! Here is my little cowboy eating his luncy and watching a little PBS kids. (p.s. That is NOT a pirate hat if you ask Grant...it is his cowboy hat but only because he couldn't find his real one!)

He's at that stage where he will not look at me when I am trying to take a picture so this is what I get. Or maybe he is going blind from so many flashes going off (that is what Duke keeps telling me will happen!) or maybe he is just plain sick of me saying, "Grant, Say CHEEEESE!" I believe he is giving me a hint of the "stink eye"

"Back away lady...Put down the camera or I will have to shoot."

"Okay, now you can take a picture of me!"

Well, Sissy Bon saw her brother eating an apple and decided that she NEEDED one also. I mean screaming and tugging on the fridge door kind of NEED! I figured "Why not, she has 14 teeth now" So she took her first bite...

Mmmmmm...pretty good!

A little sour...but good!

Not so sure about the skin although she did eat quite a bit of it.

Check her out...she was really doing a number on that big apple. Mind you...that was a whole, unpeeled apple when she started!

I think she was trying to fit the whole thing in her mouth at once!

Just hangin' out...eatin' some fruit.

Hey, I'm a BIG GIRL now!

This is pretty cool!

No, I mean REALLY COOL!

And the Punk couldn't let his sister get all of the glory. He had to show off his apple muchin' skills too.

Don't mind the stack-o-cat food in the background. That is Gabby's "special" food she has to be on now and I was too lazy to clean out some cupboard space to put it in. Oh, and that banana is still on top of my microwave since Monday...it's just brown instead of yellow now. Never mind me...I am just a bit random tonight!

Little Mister got the coveted Lego Batman game for the Wii from Grandma Sue today as a gift from her trip. He has been engrossed in it all night so that is the only reason I have had time to get this post done. I am sure I will get to hear all about it as soon as I shut this thing down. Can't wait!

I have a bunch of these apple eating pictures in black and white that I think are even cuter so I think I will have to share those next. Betcha' can't wait, huh?!?

Sweet Dreams.

For your viewing enjoyment...

So on Saturday, we got a little board because it was so cold outside and we hadn't been out since Thurs afternoon when we got home from work/daycare. We were scraping for things to do so Grant invented pushing his Sissy around on a video rocker. I actually got a really cute video on our big video camera but it isn't digital so I had to take a couple of little clips with my little camera to be able to post them on here. When I watch these videos I can't help but think how quickly time seems to be slipping by. It seems like just yesterday when Grant was only 1 and I had what seemed like all the time in the world to enjoy him being little. Now, having two, it gives me the feeling that life is in fast forward. There is never a lack of things to do, just a lack of time to do them. It is all about finding the right "balance." I really do need to learn to let things go, although I am getting pretty good at multi-tasking. Today, I was able to clean the bathroom while they were in the tub together, then I scrubbed the tub while they were doing their favorite thing...running around naked after a bath. Hey, whatever works! And this was all about 4 o'clock so they went from one pair of jimmer jammers to the next, thus less laundry. See how that works?

Boy...these videos sure do take a long time to upload. I guess I will just have to type some more...hmmmm...I lead a pretty uneventful life. Don't get me wrong, I kind of like it that way, but all in all I am pretty boring. I used to be the life of the party, now I would much rather stay home and spend time with my kids. I do miss the socialization aspect at times, though. I guess we are back to that "balance" thing again. Good thing I am a Libra and my astrological sign is the scales. Good for weighing. Sometimes too often...makes for a very indecisive person. Duke calls me putzy. My thoughts are, "What's the hurry?" Especially when it comes to shopping. We CAN NOT shop together. We try, but he always gets frustrated because I dilly-dally and take too long. I actually enjoy shopping so I can not fathom why he would or could run into a store, grab only what he went there for and leave. Not happenin' in my world so we have decided to NOT shop together anymore. Agree to disagree, right?

So, does anyone need a personal shopper. I would be more than happy to oblige!

Snow Day!

Burrrrrrr...it is C-O-L-D outside today!!! It was -15 for most of the morning and isn't supposed to get above zero all day. Ish! I like winter, but I HATE cold! Pretty much haven't stepped outside all day today. The coldest I got was going out to the heated garage to get chicken breasts out of the freezer for dinner (or supper...which do you call it? I call it both.) Since it was a cold day here I thought I would share some fun winter pictures from over the last couple of weeks.

I like this picture of Audrey, even though it is way over-exposed. I think it looks sort of angelic...

Check out Grant's rosy cheeks in this one...couldn't you just pinch them?

Tootie has such a cute little button-nose. Not sure where she got that!
Grant was giving her a little "brotherly advice" on how to ride in the sled...you know, since he is such an old pro!

I know she was having fun, but I could not get her to crack a smile which is VERY unusual for her. I think she was just trying to soak everything in.

Oop...almost a smile there!

But I am thinking Roxy pretty much wiped it off by doing this!

I don't think I have formally introduced Roxy yet...here she is. She is my other "baby." She is the sweetest dog you'll ever meet.

Whoa, Grant...slow down a little. I am just a baby, ya know!

Hey, lets go up the driveway and slide back down!

Dad...wait for me! (Poor abandoned Tootie.)

So the "boys" decided to take the new 2-seater snow tubing sled down the driveway for a spin. Here is how it went down...

Ready. Set. GO!!!

Whoaaaaaaaaaaa....

Weeeeeeeeeee..........

That was Fuuu-un!

Here is a shot of the triple threat! Again, Audrey didn't smile, but she did want to go again and again!

This is Grant's botched attempt at a snow angel...too deep to move his arms or legs!

Then, Grant thought it was funny to throw Roxy's bone into the deep snow so she would have to dig it out.

Little Shyster!

Okay, this is from a different day. Again, the boys were out doing a little snow clean-up and Sissy bon Stink-Butt (that is another of her very flattering nicknames!) and I were all toasty warm inside.

Grant asked Duke to throw him into the snow pile again. With my new camera, you can shoot pretty fast. Check out this montage...Up, up and away!

He was stuck pretty good, so Dad had to go rescue him.

I also love these three pictures. The lighting was good, the colors are vivid and I love how Duke on the snow blower in the background is kind of blurry. Looks like I tried to do that!

Isn't he so cute he is almost pretty? (Some day he is gonna kill me for that!)

And since Audrey has such a flattering nickname... I suppose you should know that we also call Grant Stink Bomb Stink-Butt.

Okay, enough for now...there is work to be done!

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Blessings to all!