Bittersweet Summer Ending.

The end of the summer is almost here and I have mixed feelings.  On the other hand, of course, I'm celebrating the fact that I will once more have some peace and quiet during the day.  (I really, really, really require peace and quiet.  Funny that I had 2 children.)  But really, that doesn't measure up against the fact that I will have to wake up at 6:15am, make lunches, fight against the clock every morning to get McKenzie to her bus stop by 6:55am, deal with paperwork, homework, etc etc etc..  So many mixed feelings.

 

School starts next Tuesday and I don't know who is LESS prepared, them or me.  So I'm sending my family away for a minny vacation.  McKenzie and her dad to the redwoods for a camping trip for 3 days.  Callie to her great grandparents house and me, well, I'm staying home and treating myself to a pedicure and massage.  I've got these all booked and I'm counting the hours to pure bliss.  I just might go into shock.  I just might take a long bath with a book in hand.  I 'm going to watch a scary movie and I'm just going to enjoy the silence of the house.  I don't mean to sound like I enjoy sending my family away but I need them to go away so I will miss them and then they can come back.

 

This is a photo of the girls enjoying blackberries down at daddy's pumpkin patch.

I Almost Forgot This.

I was browsing through some photos on my computer tonight and I found these.  They were taken at Lithia Park  on 6-10-08.  That scratch on your nose Callie has finally healed.  You fell and landed on your face.  Your dad and I would put medicine on your nose to help it heal and just as it was almost on the mend, you would pick the scab off and we would have to start all over.  It made us furious because we were afraid you would have such an aweful scar.  We were both about to tie both of your hands behind your back but we discovered that a simple bandaid and some hydocortizone cream to help with the itch fixed it right up.

 

The picture of the both of you girls tackling your dad makes me laugh as you are always jumping on him and he doesn't seem to mind.  I think he kind of likes it as he gets his turn to tackle the both of you and hear your sweet laughs and giggles.

More Bowling.

You did a great job McKenzie!!

Bowling at Lava Lanes.

Costco had a bowling day for its employees.  Took the girls and they had a blast.  Callie would not only bowl in her designated lane but she would travel from one lane to the next with bowling ball in hand and take a shot.  She didn't care if she bowled a gutter ball, she'd jump up and down and scream "I did it, I did it!!!"  Callie was fascinated by some of the equipment.  She would say "how'd dey do dat?"

Out On A Limb.

McKenzie... you totally crack me up.  There are two other girls up in this tree.  Morgan and Marion who are John and Susan's grandkids are visiting from S.Carolina.  These two girls are higher up this tree and I know you are just dying to join them too.  You have never been a dare devil and I'm so grateful for that.  You will probably never have a single broken bone on your body.  Unlike you sister, who is totally the opposite will more than likely make up for all the dare-devilish stunts you never did.  I'm crossing my fingers that this doesn't happen but I'm not counting on it either.

Water Park.

Sorry for not posting pics like I'd promised yesterday but I got so crazy busy.  We all had a great time yesterday.  Went to Garfield Park with Kathy Pierson and her 3 beautiful girls.  I love taking pictures.  I feel it's so important to document all those every day moments.  My family and friends say I'm such a great photographer but I feel like I'll never be as good as Karen Russell, who I absolutely admire and I wish I had just a 1/4 of her talent.  Oh my God how I love Tara Whitney's work.  Her photography is so natural and real.  It's as if the people don't know that she's there taking photos.  She just blends right in and is so natural and how I love her blog photo of her on her lazy boy chair on the beach.  I wish I had a beach close by.  I'd be there every day taking pics and practicing with my camera and just capturing all those greaty every day beautiful moments.  Isn't that what it's all about? 

 

I registered McKenzie for school today.  She'll be going to the Ashland Middle School due to Bellview is currently under construction.  I'm not worried about the whole new transition and adjusting to a different environment, I'm just completely freeking out on how I'm going to get this child up and on the morning bus by 6:55am.  It's amazing if I can get her out of bed by 9am.  She has always been a child that requires a lot of sleep.  I told McKenzie that she'll have to eat breakfast at school and she wasn't to thrilled about that but there is no way I'll be able to get her to consume any food around 6am-ish.  She said "will you still pack my lunch?" and I said "absolutely and with a very special treat everyday."

Thought For The Day.

Todd Henry: Life is made up of mements and choices. We can choose to do the small things we must do with great care, or we can choose to stay focused on the "big things" and miss everything in the process. It's the small, step-by-step, creatively and beautifully engaged act that changes us and ultimately changes the world.

I love this quote.

Stay tooned for pictures from our water park adventure today, because a post wouldn't be a post withuot pictures.

Right Now.

Right now McKenzie is reading to her little sister.  I absolutely love watching this.  Callie is so attentive and McKenzie is so patient and totally into teaching her sister how to read.  My heart races a little when I see this.

Not Ready Yet Part II.

Not Ready Yet.

----- Original Message -----

From: Libbi

To: Libbi's Blog
Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2008 12:14 AM
Subject: Not Ready Yet.

Took the girls down to the pumpkin patch, where there are loads and loads of blackberry bushes to do some blackberry picking but they're not ready yet. the girls were just as dissapointed as I was. I was already to take pics of blackberry stained hands, clothes and mouths. Callie had fun though. She was totally into playing with daddy's irrigation pipe and making mounds of dirt. She is such a "tom boy." Completely the opposite of her big sis.

My Big Girl, Callie.

It's hard to believe she's 3.  I was laying in bed last night trying to remember my feelings 3 years ago...  I was trying to remember what life felt like before Callie... and how it changed so drastically upon her arrival.  As I really focused on my memory, floods of thoughts filled my mind.  I think I was using photos in my mind's eye to jog my memory... photos that represented milestones and benchmarks of her little life so far.  In just 3 years, how cosmically different our lives are.  It's amazing to watch as McKenzie's life revolved around her to revolving around her little sister... and it hasn't stopped.  McKenzie adores her so completely and she treats her so carefully and lovingly... she has to be one of the most loved little people on this planet.  She is a breath of fresh air and the warmest beam of light... she is such a bright spot in our home!  And her blond hair... it's just an added dose of charm that puts her in a category all her own!  We are so lucky to have her.  It's impossible to imagine life without her.

 

I took the girls to a park in Talent next to Grandma Alicia's house.  This was a great place to play while waiting for my Honda to get new front brake pads.

 

 

My Best Friend, Kirsten.

My best friend of 23 years came for a visit.  We both went to our 20th high school reunion over the weekend.  It was like seeing old ghosts but much older ghosts.  We hooked up at a local restaurant in Ashland, The Oak Tree for breakfast, than off to Lithia Park for a photo shoot.