Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Flowertown Festival: A Look Back
We are our own worst critics. I just want to state for the record that my blog "Look Backs" (is that even a phrase?? If not, I am coining it now) would be much more effective if I could remember to take the same pictures every year with the same people in the same locations. Hmmmm....nice idea in theory... but I just don't have time for that kind of planning. :)
Avery at Flowertown Festival through the years:
1 year old
2 years old
3 years old
4 years old
Avery and Kayla at the Flowertown Festival:
2012
2013
Avery riding "Thomas" at the Flowertown Festival:
3 years old
4 years old
Future Miss Flowertowns:
1 year old, 2012
2 years old, 2013
Avery driving cars at the Flowertown Festival:
3 years old
4 years old
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Flowertown Festival 2013
Every year, the city of Summerville has a fun "fair", called the Flowertown Festival. We have been attending this event since Avery was one year old. Each year, Avery has added on a few new rides to his resume, as his height and bravery grow. This year, he was motivatedy to ride on ALL of the rides, although, he still wasn't quite tall enough for a couple of them. Try explaining that to a four year old who insists he is as big as his daddy!
This was Kayla's second festival. Last year, we went with her little friend Marley and we continued the tradition this year as well. While last year, the girls spent all of their time sitting in strollers, this year they put on their big girl panties and braved the rides that they were tall enough to go on. We started the girls off on the merry-go-round, so we could be with them. Kayla was a little afraid but eventually warmed up to the idea. I was so proud of her!
We started the morning on this little train that is here every single year. At this point, Kayla got on the train, but then she immediately wanted off. She was still a bit wary of portable fair rides.
This is Avery's fourth year riding on "Thomas" the train. I want to point out that this train looks nothing like Thomas the Tank Engine, even though the two passenger cars are also named Annie and Clarabel.
After the carousel ride, the girls decided that they could totally handle the cars that go in a circle AND go up and down! I was so proud of Kayla!
Sidenote: while the kids had a good time in these photos, this was the worst outing I have been on with my children. Between Avery springing two emergency bathroom trips to the outhouses on me, to Kayla insisting she wanted to potty in the outhouses but really just wanted to touch everything, to two kids having total meltdowns later during lunch in a small pizzeria, I was absolutely frazzled (I could go into more detail, but I prefer not to relive it...it might send me into PTSD, lol). They totally ganged up on me!! It was insane. I was so frazzled from this trip that I started crying in the car on the way home (don't judge; all moms have these breakdown moments once in a while!!). Kayla heard me crying and started laughing, while repeatedly telling me, "Hush up, Mom! Hush up, Mom!". Umm...way to be tough, Kayla. Needless to say, I was at happy hour that evening with friends trying to erase the memories of the day. I will choose to look at these photos and focus on the fun that we all had for about 40 minutes that day. :)
Additional sidenote: The only other stressful outing with the kids that was even comparable to this time was when I flew to Cleveland by myself with both kids (3 and 1), had to endure gate changes in the ATL airport at the last minute, which meant that I had to rush through the crowded airport and negotiate that stupid airport train with 2 little kids, AND that same day went to my friend's parents' house in Cleveland, where Avery proceeded to wet his pants immediately on her parents' pristine floors the ONE time I didn't have a change of clothes on me so he remained naked from the waist down for our entire visit. Aaagggh. The joys of parenthood sometimes! I hope I survive it!
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Professional Photos March 2013
About twice a year, I look for deals from Groupon or Living Social in order to get cheap family photos. I love taking my own photos of the kids (although lately, I have been pretty lazy and have just been using my phone's camera...but it's hard to keep up with two little kids AND a bulky camera!), but that means that I am never in the pictures myself (not that I am vain and NEED to be in the pictures, but you know, I want my kids to grow up knowing that I was around!). This particular photographer that I purchased a Living Social deal through (who shall remain nameless but if you are truly curious, you can see his watermark on the lower left hand corner of his photos) really peeved me. Granted, I waited until the deal was about to expire until I set up a photo session, which meant that the only availability he had was during the week (strike one for this guy: lack of flexibility). So that eliminated the opportunity for a family session. But I thought, better to take photos of the kids than to allow the deal to expire. How this particular photographer decided to do things was that he set up a "photo viewing session" a couple of weeks after the photos were taken. He had put together a nice slideshow of all of the pictures he took...and they were pretty good. But then the pressure started....he kept hounding me to purchase photos and canvases through him...I am talking HUNDREDS of dollars...for, like ONE canvas. Is this a joke??? Anyone who has been to my house knows that I am a minimal decorator and the majority of photographs in my house are magnetized on the fridge. I print out about 3% of my own photos. Anywho, long story short, apparently all I got with my deal was the photo session and 12 digital images of HIS discretion. Needless to say, he picked 12 of my least favorite photos. AND these are low resolution pics, which means if I wanted to print them out myself, they will be of poor quality. AND these are the unedited proofs. So in the end, I think this photographer sucks; he could have made a lot more money off of me had he allowed me to purchase one or two of his edited (i.e. cropped, colored correctly) images so I could post them on my blog and brag about his work. AND, I am showcasing poor quality on my blog. What a pretentious *&%$#. But in good news, apparently even "professional" photographers need to crop and edit their own pictures. Makes me wanna brush up on my photoshopping skills...I could actually be good, haha.
Easter Comparisons
It's fun watching the kids grow into the aprons that Ninny made for the kids. They sure come in handy during art projects....and dyeing Easter eggs!
Easter 2013:
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Easter Egg Dye
Of COURSE you have to dye eggs for Easter!! How else do you get your deviled eggs the next day??
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