Oh my...

This is the conversation that happened just now while putting you to bed:

Char: Would you miss me if I was dead?
Allie: Oh yes, very much.
Char: Would you cry?
Allie: Every day and for a long time.
Char: Would you ever stop?
Allie: Eventually, but then I know I would probably cry every time I thought of you for a long time.
Char: How long
Allie: Forever
Char: You wouldn't have to miss me you know. I would come back.
Allie: Oh that's good.
Char: I would come back as an egg (fetus) and you wouldn't have to miss me because you would be on top of me (meaning I would be pregnant with her)
Allie: Oh that's good.
Char: And I would just grow and grow from nothing, and then I would come out in the air.
Allie: Yep

This was followed by lots of snuggley hugs and cuddles. Charlotte, I just love you more and more each day. Not sure what I would do without you.

xo, Mommy

My lovely Charlotte

Char informed me tonight of the following:

"You're the bestest in the family and the grandma"

Char,
You are so lovely and wonderful. A few weeks ago I questioned you about your new and improved amazingness. You response? "I decided that I should be nicer" Wow. Girl, that is powerful stuff.

I love you as much as

Charlotte was the utmost in cute tonite and here's the evidence:

Allie: I love you as much as the ocean
Char: I love you as much as a whale shark. Hows long is that? Is it up to space?
Allie: Not sure how long, but I know it's not up to space. I'm sure it's big though.
Char: Let's pretend it's up to space.
Allie: Ok.

.........

Allie: I love you as much as a mountain
Char: Would you like it if I loved you as big as an eyeball??
Allie: Yep.
Char: Then I love you as big as an eyeball

My first Yosemite Trip, Sep 2009

This is one of the first scenes I saw after coming out of the huuuuge tunnel. We stopped at the first lookout station with all the other tourists who knew what was good for them. Breathtaking.

This is the same view as the one above I just walked around to a different spot.

And yet another amazing scene....all in front of me. I just turned slowly.

This is a shot of Vernal Falls. I hiked up with Robert; Cec petered out. I finally used one of the settings on my camera that purposely doesn't slow down motion....so that the water has a soft sort of fairy tale look. I love the effect. This hike (embarrassing to say) was pretty grueling. My fear of heights had plenty an opportunity to say hello to me. I am so glad I continued on. It was just amazing.

I don't know if you can see this, but on the left about the middle of the picture is a red dot (click on the picture). That is a person. A very silly person with a death wish. Anyway I made sure he was in there to give you perspective of the size of the waterfall and how far he would fall. Evil? Maybe just a tad.

Do you see that sign on the left? That is about 31/2 feet high. This was HUGE. Like a portal to an alien world.

On an entirely different note, the air is so CLEAN in Yosemite that I didn't stop taking deep breaths the whole time we were there. I kept saying "I think I am getting high on clean air!!!"

If I remember correctly this tree is called Giant Grizzly. See those tiny dots on the lower left? Those are people. This tree is an estimated 1,800 years old. Just amazing.

Vio-lent

Is it wrong to have a nickname for your niece like "Violent" ??? 

So sorry if you answered yes.

Violet is so cute, so sweet, just the yummiest thing ever but sometimes....

oh man....sometimes............

She's really violent. 

Like the time she finger painted with prescription creams. Or the time she colored all over the wall and door in brown crayon. Or my favorite...the time she colored our wall & rocking horse in blue sharpie. LOL Oi vey. 

So when I had an opportunity to capture this fiend in action I had to do it. Here she is "rearranging" our art shelf. 

We love you no matter what Violet!!!

Party on

We were invited to a party today in Santa Monica. A bit far, but I felt it was going to be worth it. It was.

The mom fashioned the party after a Japanese show called Wipe Out, where two teams compete against each other doing various things. Odd things. Usually involving water.  Exhibit A.

The object of this game was to throw water balloons at one team mate who had to catch them and place them in a bucket without popping it. The fullest bucket won. Very fun.

Next game: Each contestant had to have their hands tied behind their backs and had to pick up marbles and place in a bucket. Fullest bucket won. Again, very fun (and very hysterical to watch).

Next game: Remember this game? I do. But I have never played it. Interesting. A topic for further discussion elsewhere. Anyway, this ROCKED! The eggs are hard-boiled, and you have to carry it to your bucket and drop it in, no hands. If the egg drops you have to run back with your wayward egg to the end of the line. Fullest bucket wins. Super freaking fun.

Next game: This sounds painfully simple but the kids LOVED it. There was a huge pile of clothes pins and each team had their own line. Everyone scrambled to put more clothes pins on their teams line. The fullest line wins.

I had so much fun watching the kids have fun. Even Charlotte played!! That is HUGE. That is noteworthy. Ya'll know what I'm talking about. But you are too busy wondering "so where are the pictures of her?" That's a good question, "not sure" is my answer. Ahhh, I remember, I was too shocked, knocked the sense right out of me having her interact healthfully with people she doesn't know and all. But then I did get this shot:

What a cutie. What you don't know is that she screamed at me to stop taking pictures so I could push her on this. LOL Her punishment? A picture.

Last but not least.....hello yumminess:

why, Why, WHY do I love this shot so much? I don't know but I think it's because it expresses their family perfectly. They love their children, the raise them to do and be and think as individuals but as members of their group, they are fun, they are colorful, and they love gummy bears.

 This family is so full of love it was yummy to be with them and their friends. Oh and they own a Cuban restaurant and catered the party with CUBAN FOOD. And sent me home with a big plate of CUBAN FOOD. Oh my....how I love cuban food.

Thank you photography class

I bit the bullet. Faced my fears. Pulled myself up by the bootstraps. 

I went out and enrolled in a photography class.

It was fun. They were Mac people. They were digital SLR (fancy cameras) people. I felt so grown up. See below for the first pictures I took after the class. Wow, what a difference.

 

I had to bribe them with cookies in order to pose semi touching each other. hehe

Man oh man and yes siree. This is what greets me in the morning. Every morning. And usually wishes me a goodnight by saying "You are my best mama" 

This is THE face. The face Char makes that I find hysterical.

If ever a photo could capture the essence of Charlotte it's this one....oh so lovely.

Hello gorgeous peepers.

Upon investigation

It had been quiet for a while last night. Too quiet. "Where is everyone?"I wondered. While I was certainly enjoying the quiet, a mother a two small children learns to question the quiet. So I set off on an investigation to find where the noise was hiding.

Not hiding at all apparently. My clan fell asleep together. Check the body positions. Amazing they are asleep that way, especially Charlotte.