Day 7:

Capture a photograph
of your child, family member, dog being frustrated.

 

Piper is 1 (2 tomorrow, but I will NOT say it... yet.)

 

She still has a binky.  She is CRAZY attached to said binky.

 

We couldn't find one this morning.. ANYWHERE.

 

We searched high, we searched low.  We looked in all of the "usual" spots.  Behind/under her crib.  Under my bed.  In the bathroom.  In the pile of dirty clothes that is the size of Virginia.  We couldn't find a single one.

 

I remembered that I had missed yesterdays assignment (kid showing frustration) and ran to get my camera.  As I was getting a picture of her cute poutiness, Kapri totally photobombed and kissed her on the cheek.

 

I caught her utter frustration.

 

 

 

 

Then Piper proceed to turn and SMACK Kapri cross the face.  So the next few pictures were of Kapri screaming. 

 

It was such a sweet moment.

Day 6:

Capture a photograph of your child in complete hysterics.

 

 

 

 

 

Couldn't have gotten this one without Cody's help.. he's the master of the body shakin' giggle. 

Day 5:

Capture a close-up of something about your
child that is telling of their age.

 

 

 

Chipped toe nail polish.  Check.

Bruised shins.  Check.

Cartoon in the background.  Check.

Watching the show on their bellies.  Check.

Pudgy toes.  Check.

Messy hair.  Check.

 

Proof that they are just babies.  My babies.

Day 4:

Capture a close-up of your child’s, children’s, spouse, animal or loved one's face. Get in really close and focus on their eyes.

 

 

 

Good gosh, she's perdy.

Day 3:

DAY 3: Take a photograph of your child, husband, pet etc having a a quiet moment...incognito.

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite things is giving the girls a bath, getting on their pj's and reading before bed.  I was trying to pick up a little tonight, so I let the girls read together in Kapri's bed without me.  Too bad it didn't last long before they were out of the bed and messing up their room.  Love the quiet moments they have together.  (The quiet before the storm.  The silence before they punch eachother.)

 

I absolutely LOVE this photo challenge.  I almost never get my camera out to take pictures of my girls.  I find myself thinking all day about what I'm going to do for my assignment that day.  I might have to keep this up after 30 days.  Plus I look for the GOOD instead of dwelling on the fact that my girls fight and whine all.day.long.  :)

Day 2:

Day 2's assignment kept me stumped most of the day. 

 

"Take a picture of your kids, without them being in the picture." 

 

I took pictures of smeared lotion on the bathroom mirror and an abandoned ipod and headphones.  I thought of other countless things I could take pictures of. 

 

 But, when my girls walked through the freshly fallen snow, my lightbulb turned on.  These girls absolutely, positively MUST walk THROUGH the snow.  No matter how many times I encourage them to walk around it, Kapri starts walking through it and Piper immediately follows. 

 

 

 

 

 

This is how most things go lately.  Kapri does something, says something, eats something, throws something... and Piper immediately follows suit.  She adores her big sister.  

 

Don't get me wrong, they fight 23 hours a day, but that 1 hour... that one hour where they get along... laugh, play make-believe, snuggle while watching a show... that is exactly why being a mother is by far the COOLEST gift. 

Day 1:

Just started a 30 day photography challenge.  A good excuse to get pictures of my life, I don't do it nearly enough.

 

Day one is routine.  Something you see daily in your home. 

 

We spend a lot of our days in this bed.  The morning starts in this bed.  The kids watch tv shows and movies in this bed.  We have movie nights in this bed.  We read books together in this bed.  We end the day in this bed, with snuggles and giggles. 

 

I love this bed.

 

 

In case you were wondering....

...we're still kickin'.

 

 

 

Long gone are the days where all you needed was the back of a cereal box to entertain you while you ate your breakfast.

(Ipad AND coloring books.)

 

Today is the day!!

Kapri has been asking every day for the last week and a half  "Is today my Birthday?"  I had to keep saying nope, its in __ days... but guess what.. Today is the day!! 

 

 My baby is 4.  FOUR.  I swear she was just in my ginormous belly.. causing my nose to grow to the size of Texas.  

 

 

 

I could not wait to see how my kids were going to look, what their personalities would be like.  I've said this before, but I could not have imagined any better. 

 

 

 

 

 

 She is passionate, crazy and extreme with everything she does.  Right now she has a black eye and a huge bruise on her chin because she NEVER slows down.  When she falls, she jumps right back up again. 

 

A few of her favorite things:

 

Music

Dancing

Justin Beaver

Disney Princesses

Dressing Up

Treats

Movie Nights

Watching cartoons with Daddy

Oma

Shopping

Books

 

But, I think she loves me the very BEST.

 

(Right??...  tap, tap.  This thing on??)

 

 

Happy Birthday Kapri Grey!!

 

I love you more than you'll ever know.

A few of my favorite things...

• When you get the "free" ones when you're eating sunflowers seeds.  You know, the ones you don't have to do any work for.

• When your kid looks at you sadly and asks where Bambi's mother went.. but when you start explaining (as well as you can to a three year old) she gets distracted.  SQUIRREL.

• When you find a sippy under the couch.. and while plugging your nose (and silently praying).. open it, only to find it had WATER in it.  Can I get a hallelujah??!!

• When you thought you lost your lip gloss, then your sister finds it, then you lose it again... only to find it on the seat when you get in the car.  Apparently my butt ate it... then spit it out while I was driving.  Cause it WAS NOT there before.

• When the sheet comes off of the corner of the mattress (bleck.. yuckily, yuck... so gross.. I might die..) but you realize its loose enough that you can pull it back over the corner without having to wake your snoring, sometimes gets angry when he's bugged in the middle of the night, husband to fix it.

• When you open the dryer to put in wet clothes.. only to find a load of fresh, dry, needs to be folded laundry.  But, oh, guess what!!??  Its towels!!  Thank the heavens above.. its only towels!!

• Coming downstairs in the morning to a clean kitchen/family room.  There's nothin' funny about that.

• Making a deposit at the bank, reading the receipt.. wondering why on earth we have such a small amount of money in our bank account.. having a heart attack, then realizing you put the money into the savings account.  Celebrating.. then crying because your "savings" is so sad. -- Okay, so this is a bittersweet one.

• Run-on sentences.

FREE stuff, PEEPS!!

Just wanted to pop in to share two fabulous giveaways!!  (Maybe one day I'll update this dusty old blog.. I do miss it.)

First off... our photography business is giving away a FREE session!!

Visit HERE for details.

My good friend Bree, from Bluebird Pictures is also doing a HUGE 3K giveaway and there are MULTIPLE winners!!

Enter HERE.

So, what do you have to lose?  Try your luck!!  :)

5 words

Challenge:

To describe the following pictures in FIVE words or less.

Why is this a challenge?  Do you know me at all?

I never know whether I should write about the picture above or below it.  Eeny meeny...  top.

1.  We are HOT.

2. A flood is comin'.

3.  Starting to fight back.

 4.  Got prunes?

5.  BEST. BINKY. EVER.

6.  The calm before the storm.

7. Now demanding COLORED everything/anything.

8.  Bored?

9.  Back view of "bored".

10.  Obsessed much?

11.  And pose.

12.  What the??

12.  Holy Fudge.  I mean, cottage-cheese.  (Barely got that one in.) Dashed words don't count.

13.  Scissors + hair on the counter. 

14.  Love/Hate relationship.

Mission accomplished.

BOO-YAH. 

I just know it.

CRAP. 

(Sorry mom.)

I want to blog.  I do. 

The photography biz has taken over my late night computer time.

Ha.  Late night computer time.  Get your minds outta the gutter.

I am in LOVE with taking pictures.. and I am also in love with editing them.  Most of the time.

Editing is a time-sucker.  And Copper is a fun-sucker.

This house is full of suckers.

My kids are clean-suckers.  Meaning... they suck up any ounce of "cleanliness" in this home.

Cody is a coke-sucker.

(the fizzy kind that comes in a 2-liter.  Or a fountain cup.  Depending on whether he has "quit" that day.)

I digress.  I love looking back on my blog and reading about things I've forgotten.  And laughing.  Cause I'm hilarious.  If I don't post things.. what will I have to look back on?  Plus.. you guys must be DYING to read my shiz.  Cause I'm THAT fabulous.

**crickets**

So here I am. With nothing in particular to blog about.

I should probably share some pictures.  Yes.  Thats what I'll do.

Kapri started a dance class in January.  Her cousin Addison is the only other one in the class.  First, we were a little disappointed, since we had wanted it to be a "social" thing.  But, after going to a couple of classes and watching our girls have a hard time following directions, staring at themselves in the mirror THE ENTIRE TIME, shaking their booty while doing a plie (okay, that might just be Kapri) we realized that it might be a good thing that there aren't other distractions.

Their teacher's name is Miss Candace, (I think patience is her middle name.) and the girls LOVE her.

I'm won't lie.  I almost cried during their first class.  The Little Mermaid song "Part of Your World"  came on while they were dancing and I had this PROUD MAMA moment. 

There is no better feeling.

Little Mermaid is my absolute favorite Disney movie.. with Part of Your World being my absolute favorite Disney song.  Seriously.  I can't not sing it if it comes on.

Shonni can vouch for this.

Dancing.  Tutus.  Crowns.  Sparkles.  Wands.  Music.

This little lady is in H.E.A.V.E.N.

Plus, all 36 lbs and 38.5 inches of her have moved on up to a booster seat. 

I am officially the mother of a kid in a booster seat. 

February is bring a friend to class month.  My fabulous friend, Bree, has a fabulous daughter, named Stella.  Addison hurt her foot and missed dance class.. so we brought Stella along.  She wanted to TWIRL the entire class and didn't like being told how to dance, but she LOVED it.

These two girls talked about farts and butts and poop the entire drive.  Followed with crazy giggles.

  It was quite entertaining.

I always pictured putting my girls in dance class.  Its everything I hoped it would be.  I cannot wait to be the mom that is so excited to see her 3 year old dance at the recital.  You know what I'm talking about.  Its not exciting to watch other people's 3 year olds. 

But MINE??  I will probably die of cuteness.

--------------------------------------

Piper is almost walking.  ALMOST.  Meaning, she could totally walk if she wanted to. 

I just know it.

She is at the CRAZY age where she doesn't want to sit in a high chair, shopping cart, or my arms when we're anywhere but home.  This makes taking her anywhere almost miserable.  ALMOST, because she is absolutely, positively, the CUTEST 11 month old baby. 

 I dare you to second-guess that.

Shonni can vouch for this too.  She wishes Piper was her's.  Going as far as to say "if you get pregnant, I'll have Piper."

I am not pregnant.  Nor do I plan to be in the near future.  :)

Holy. Freak.  I love her.

"MILK", does a burning eye good.

Came upon this today.

I put Kapri in time out when I found it.  She started freaking out and crying, which isn't too far from the norm.  It took me much too long to realize that she had rubbed the hot stuff into her eyes and around her mouth.  She was SCA-REAMING.  The solution?  Milk on a paper towel.  The only positive to this situation was that she sat and snuggled me for a good thirty minutes.  A rare occasion, being that this kid doesn't sit still for longer than thirty seconds.

Hopefully your day was a little LESS exciting than mine.

Effie Grey Photography Awesome-ness

We're doing a giveaway over on our photography blog. 

Click HERE to check it out!!

Pretty please... with a cherry on top.  Actually.. I don't like cherries.  Lets stick a big ol' snickers bar on top.  Yeah.  Thats better.

(If you don't live in the area, or aren't in the market for pictures, you're welcome to the free session as a gift!!)

Bittersweet

Packer's lost their game yesterday.  I am bummed. 

 Seriously. 

I had already planned my Super Bowl outfit. 

Seriously. 

On a good note.. Cody was only keeping his mountain man beard around as long as they were winning... which means I had the pleasure of cutting it off.

Tear.

  Don't worry, he's still got a beard, its just much, much shorter.  And I LIKE it.  :)

I'm not ready for it to be over...

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? Hot Chocolate.  Definitely
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Big ones have a bow.. smaller are wrapped. 
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White on the tree, colored on the house.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? I always buy it.. then it sits in the car until it goes bad.
5. When do you put your decorations up? Day after Thanksgiving.  Unless I'm dead from shopping.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Ah snap.  Food is my enemy.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Getting up before the parents and opening our stockings by the light of the tree. 
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I never stopped believing.  Really though, I don't remember.  Must not have been too tramatic.  I still believe in the spirit of Santa.  :)
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I'm crazy.  And OCD.  I wish I had room for two trees.  So I could put all of my ornaments from growing up on one.. and have the other one be my CRAZY, anal tree.
11. Snow! Love it or dread it? Love it.. for one month. 
 12. Can you ice skate? I rock.  Boo yah.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift?  My rabbit in sixth grade.  Too bad I killed it.  Sad day.
14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? Being with family.  Even though they smell.  My little family Christmas morning.. having kids on this holiday ROCKS.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Here we go with the food again.  SWEETS are delicious.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Christmas Eve Pajamas.  I have a small obsession with pjs.
17. What tops your tree? A big ol' sparkley red star.
18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? GIVING fo shizzle..
I somehow erased 19.
20. Favorite Christmas show? The Family Stone, Elf, Fred Clause, Polar Express, Old Christmas Claymation.  Love them all.
21. Saddest Christmas song? None of them make me sad. 
22. What is your favorite Christmas song? Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.  This is the ONLY thing that would make Kapri stop crying when she was a baby.  Now she sings it with me!!  HO HO HO!!
23. What is your favorite Christmas ornament?  The ones I have made with my girls' handprints.  Oh yes.  I am THAT cheesey mom now. 

My house is a disaster.  Just thought you all should know.  :)

Our life...

As seen through pictures from our phones.

I took pictures EVERY SINGLE DAY when Kapri was a baby.  Now I am lucky to remember to get out my camera on her birthday.  Poor Piper.  What has become of me.

Thank goodness for cameras on our phones though.  Thanks to them, you are now going to get a review of TEAM MCPHERRON'S pure awesomness.

Do you get queasy at the sight of blood?  Well, suck it up.

First up.. Kapri had to get stitches.  She decided it would be a good idea to pull down a back massager from the top shelf in the closet.  Her face didn't agree.  She screamed and fought getting stitches so they had to sedate her.  WORST. DAY. EVER.

Luckily she was great when she got them removed and the scar is barely noticeable!!

CUTEST sleeper ever.

This little lady is pulling herself up on everything.  She's crawling now too. 

 Pretty much.. she's the shit.

Mama and Daddy got to go on a date!!  My man looked FINE this evening.

Fast forward to this.

Let's just say he thinks the Green Bay Packers undefeated streak is all because of this beard. 

And who knows, maybe it is.

PSYCH!!

Sorry baby, the Packers are not winning just because you have refused to shave.

But that would be awesome.

Santa's Reindeer

Draper Park has FABULOUS lights this year.. definitely worth a drive by.

Went "ombre" with my hair.  Thats right ladies.  I gave my self re-growth.

Not gonna lie... matching babies make me happy.

Our official tree topper.

LOVE baby butts in the air.

Itty Bitty earrings make me smile.

 Happiest baby EVER.  Even when she's upside down.

Our life in a nutshell.

"When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead.

TRUE STORY."