Field of Dreams

Another snippet of the wildflower pictures I did with the kidlets. Ryenne was in a bad mood here. She walked away from me in a huff. But I got a good image out of it anyway!

Kai Singing Video

It's been a crazy few days - I've been photographing preschoolers at a nearby preschool - four days total. Around 300 children. Tomorrow is my last day. It has been CRAZY! But in a good way.

Today while we were doing Yoga, Kai started singing "Twinkle Twinkle". I came out of my yoga pose to listen because I HAVE NEVER HEARD KAI SING BEFORE. Never. He just never does. So to hear him singing was like... well - amazing. It was beautiful. He was singing with Ryenne. Sure, they should have been sleeping, but really that doesn't matter!

They continued singing until we were done with our workout and I grabbed the camera to record the magic.


Love it. Love these monkeys. Afterward I went to tuck Kai into bed and Ry came in and kissed him goodnight too. It was incredibly sweet.

Swoon

The wildflowers are s-l-ooooooo-w-l-y starting to peek out this weekend. I was feeling a bit bummed that the bluebonnets this year are not very spectacular. I was sharing this sentiment with my mom when she chimed in that she had seen a field of them - and even better... NOT FAR AWAY! 

This afternoon we packed the kids in the car and headed over to this amazing spot. I have lots of great images, but here's just one stunning one of my little Cruzito... swoon... my heart is melting.

PHOTO SHOOT!!!

My friend/photog Christie Stockstill and I did a shoot exchange. We did our session just before Cruz's birthday. Here are some of my favorites from our shoot. love them!!!

For this next series, the kids were instructed to run to me and Peter and Cruz on the count of three. Kai is getting ready to run!

 But then they went running in a different direction! haha

 Then they sorta figured it out.

It felt really different being on the other side of the lens but it was refreshing to hear ideas and see the vision of another talented photographer.

I have blank walls in my bedroom. Not a single picture/thing on the wall. A canvas of Peter and I has been ordered and will be the first thing to hang in our room.

The Cuties

Ryenne and Kai are either loving each other, or fighting non-stop in the car. On this day they were being goofy.

As promised, the images from the first day of Spring. We put water on the driveway so the chalk would appear brighter. We got wet. We sang songs. We wished on Dandelions. 

We did this while Cruz was napping so that I could play with the older two without having to hold Cruz. It was really nice. 

Peter surprised us and cleaned the backyard. Maybe it will become a habit??? We haven't been able to play back there because of dog mess. 

I got this nifty little "O" Ring flash doodad from photojojo.com that I wanted to test out for possible use at my preschool shoot next week. I still need to play with it more, but this is direct flash toward Ryenne and notice how there isn't a whole lot of shadow? I like it. Plus... she's a super high jumper and she's just too cool. 

 This is also with the flash adapter. Kai brings his cars everywhere. He has them talk to each other. He puts them in situations where one needs help and the other rescues. I had been waiting for this streak of imagination to light up in Kai - I was a little worried for a bit - but it's here. It's absolutely amazing to watch.

 Me, "Ryenne, can you smile at me?" - Ryenne, "HUH?" heehee

 When Peter wakes up, it makes Cruz's day. Cruz adores his daddy. When Peter walks down the stairs, Cruz just lights up - all smiles. I become chopped liver. Cruz was still having his snotty nose here, but I just love it because it shows how happy he his when Peter wakes up.

 This next image was my second favorite from the shoot with Kai in front of the Wisteria. He did a sly little smile to the side. He wouldn't smile AT me, but this was more genuine anyway and so HIM.

 We were literally right on Brodie Lane, which is a busy street. Cars were zooming past me. Kai stayed right where I told him too. When cars drove by really fast, he yelled, NOT NICE! SLOW DOWN! and gave this face. I didn't change my aperture here so it's shallow, but his face is priceless.

 Cruzito with his wooden ducks.

 Really concentrating on his walking.

Cruz Walking Video

Little Man has been a walking fiend the past couple of days. He is starting to get fast!

Beautiful (big) Boy

An amazing flowering vine was in full bloom on Brodie Lane. My mom told me it's Wisteria - thanks mom! 

I was planning on taking Ryenne for a photo shoot but she was being stinky and didn't want to go. Kai Boy told me he wanted to go.  So it was just him and me. It was really special. The flowers smelled amazing. There were tons of bees and butterflies and he didn't mind. It was our time. He is such a special boy. He's showing off his new haircut.

fresh

It's officially Spring!

I can't believe I forgot to mention that I cut the boys' hair. They haven't let me take their pictures yet - but they look adorable.

But before the haircut, this is what happens when I'm at my wits end and give the kids a cookie in the car on the way home from the grocery store. Adorable, isn't it? I just love that cookie face!

So Cruz's hair grows faster on the sides. He had long, beautiful wisps of hair that would become matted with food. I decided it was time for a little trim. I didn't go extreme - so it looks just right. I trimmed up Kai's hair too - it's still long like a little surfer boy, but he looks more like a "big boy". He says he likes it.

For the first day of Spring me and the kids went outside and decorated our driveway with chalk, planted some grass seeed, watered the front yard (lucky thing there isn't an award for worst yard in the neighborhood - we would win!). I have pictures and will upload them soon.

Everything is starting to green up and get fresh in Austin. It hit 90 degrees today and it was beautiful. I took the kids to Wal Mart to pick up the carseat bags for our trip back to Maui and I rolled the windows down, pumped up the reggae, and with the humidity and warmth we were imagining we were driving back home - ready for the beach. We got home and Ryenne said, "Mama, there is no beach here. Let's leave!" We had a good laugh.

The p90x is going really great. I feel incredibly strong. I have never exercised this much in my whole life!

SHOPPING!

Had a wonderful afternoon out with Gams and Ryenne today. We went to Kohl's and I had a ball trying on clothes. I had never explored that store before and I found a lot of really cute things. Ryenne scored a butterfly shirt, some jeans with sparkles, and some new shoes. It was a fabulous girls afternoon out!

La Luna and Sandy Feet

Last night the moon was simply amazing. Peter and I went outside and watched it rise in the sky above our fence. I grabbed my camera and got this beautiful image of the moon. 

The moon will always remind me of Ryenne. When the house is quiet, she always plays the game, "Know how much I love you, Mama?" - it started with TO THE MOON, but it's going to a much greater distance now. 

I joked with Peter that the moon was so big it looked almost like I could just pick it right out of the sky and hold it in my hands. It was kinda magical. 

The kids and I are getting over a nasty cold. Yesterday Gams helped me take all three to the doctor. The older two just needed some over the counter stuff but poor Cruzito has his very first ear infection (both ears) and conjunctivitis in both eyes. He got some antibiotics and is a much happier boy today. 

This morning we went with Gams and Pops to Cracker Barrel and had a lovely breakfast. While we were at the little store waiting for our table, Pops told me he found something that I would like. He showed it to me - and it sums of my life perfectly right now. He bought it for me. And now I can stare at it every single day. Thanks Pop!

A Shout Out to Lyndsay

Fellow Austin Photographer and Mom Lyndsay had quite a year last year with her little guy, Teagan.

Teagan became very sick after a round of vaccines and Lyndsay and family had to change almost everything in their lives overnight to accommodate Teagan's new needs and change many habits in their family.

It was reading through their family blog "Finding Our New Normal" that I got ideas on how to help Kai Boy through his struggles when I didn't know what was wrong with him. I got many ideas for cleaning our house of bad things from Lyndsay, and she was a cheerleader for Kai Boy's healing. It was Lyndsay that led us to Marti, Kai's O.T. where he received such loving care and improved so hugely.

Teagan is doing so well and I sat and read her latest post with tears of joy. She asked for comments on how their story has affected others, and this is my comment to her:

I cried hearing Teagans words to you. It's so easy to see them as babies and think they don't understand everything - but they do. And they constantly amaze us.

As you know, my Kai Boy was exhibiting things that weren't "normal". He was becoming delayed physically and mentally after being a thriving one year old. As he approached two, he was practically not speaking at all and his face was becoming droopy. I know that he didn't have many symptoms that Teagan did, but reading through all the things you have gone through, what you've removed from your home, ect... it was as if a lightbulb had gone off in my head that *something* wasn't right with Kai and your words gave me the strength to fight my doctor, put my foot down and figure out what was going on with him.

While we still don't know if it was the CFL bulb that exploded on him, or a dose of vaccines at the beginning of last summer - your blog and all Teagan has gone through led us on a path toward healing for Kai Boy. You led us to Marti. You helped us remove pesky things from our house. All of these things together formed a symphony of healing for Kai Boy.

Kai is almost two and a half and talking up a storm. He's a healthy little guy. Still very small, but physically he's healed. His speech improves daily. His face isn't as droopy. While I don't know what lies ahead for him - if he will face any further learning disabilities, ect, I am so thankful to have my little boy back. My Kai Boy is back and the droopy little boy who wouldn't talk and who was clearly in pain is gone.

As Tegan has done, Kai often comes to me in a quiet moment, sits on my lap and just clings to me and says, "I wuv you mama" and it is absolutely priceless.

Dinosaur Park

I always say that I wish we got out more and did more things as a family. With three kids all under the age of 5, it takes Herculean effort. Often times we end up changing our minds before we go somewhere because someone is being naughty.

Today we decided to take the kids to the Dino Park in Cedar Creek on the way to Bastrop. We figured that the kids could at least nap in the car on the way. Ryenne was so excited and Kai seemed to be excited too. Cruz of course was just his sweet self.

We got to the Dino park after the kiddos had napped the entire way. It was really cute. A nature trail with dinosaurs and then a playground at the end with sandboxes with "dinosaur bones" to dig up.

At the start of the trail, Kai Boy looked afraid. 

And Ryenne was super excited.

We went through the entire trail and checked out the dinosaurs. Ryenne kissed the dino.

His scared face. He freaked if we tried to put him down. We just talked about how cool the dinosaurs are, how they are pretend, how they don't move. I guess we didn't convince him.

I loved Ry's enthusiasm for everything on the trail. She loved spotting things.

Ok I'll admit it... the T-Rex was a bit intimidating!!!! But the baby dino afterwards was I think Ry's favorite.

After the dinosaur nature walk, we explored the sandboxes and the swings. Kai Boy was finally into it!

It was really nice to get out of the house today with the kiddos and with Peter. It's Spring Break so neither the kids or Peter had school. It was just us today.

We came home and had cheeseburgers - then me, Peter, and Pops did our second night of P90X. We rocked it. It was really awesome.