How do you make a kleenex dance?

Put a little boogie in it.

Monkety Schmants is a roller coaster these days. One minute she is lovin me. Givin me huge open mouth slobbery, and these days snotty, kisses. The next minute she is biting me she is so mad. Yesterday she bit me 4 times. Are you serious kid?! We've been over this. You bite and you get a spank. And then you cry and then mom cries. Sometimes because I'm sad and other times because it really hurts. Like yesterday when you chomped on my cheek. Your cheeks look tasty too, but I don't bite them.

So far she has only bit me and Shane, but I have a feeling that some day I will be that mom. The mom of the kid that just bit another kid on a play date. Oy. She is still getting over this horrible cold. So I guess I can blame that for some of the attitude. I keep thinking that its going away and still the boogers run.

There are two necessities as far as I am concerned for a child's cold. The first is this..

This stuff is great. Marlie is even getting used to it and doesn't mind a spray so much anymore. The second is THE BEST favorite ever BABY ITEM I have ever had. Let me introduce you to Nosefrida

Most people haven't heard about this when I tell them about it and also, most people get pretty grossed out when I explain it. Just click on the link to read about it folks. Its a snot sucker. Literally. Its not as gross as you think. Go ahead, make fun of me, but when your kid has a head full of junk and you can't help you'll be sorry! Seriously, check it out its awesome. It helps prevent ear infections too, which we need help with in this house.

What is not awesome is when you loose one part of it rendering it useless! Somehow I lost the tube part. I am so mad and poor Monkey is miserable so I am ordering a new one asap.

Alright, enough about mucus. I took a nap today while Marlie napped instead of working so now I must pay the piper. I think I use expressions the wrong way a lot. Anway, its time to get to work on some editing. Good night!

Anne with an E

Did you ever watch Anne of Green Gables? When I was growing up I must have watched those movies a hundred times. Anne with an E she would always say. Well here is another Anne. Anne and Wayne, a fun couple that I got to take photos of on mini shoot day. They are parents of my friend Allison and I loved doing this shoot.


They have been married for 30 years and it was really inspiring seeing them together. They laughed a lot. And it was obvious to me that they are still very much in love.



Thank you Anne and Wayne! It was my pleasure.

Maggie, you're up!

This is my friend Maggie and her cute family on mini shoot day.



Maggie is my super business lady friend who gives me advice and like owns power suits and stuff. Seriously she's an incredible business woman. She owns her own promotions company, Laughlin Promotions So if you need great products and want to work with a great company then check it out.

Tonight is kind of heavenly. Shane doesn't have class tonight and I sent him to go grocery shopping with Monkey Pants while I get some work done. She is bathed and in jammies and when they get home its straight to bed. He also brought dinner home so I wouldn't have to cook. Have I mentioned I love him? This probably doesn't seem like any big deal to most people, but I am home by myself with Marlie every night of the week so an evening off is huge for me. And Shane loves getting to spend time with her doing normal stuff like grocery shopping. Our family schedule is unorthodox yes, but we are a team and we get stuff done. When Marlie was sick on Friday and I had committed to doing a mural, guess who took a sick day to stay home with his daughter.

I have so much editing to do this week that I am kind of sick to my stomach, but I will get it done! Yes I will. Maybe if I just keep repeating that then it will happen? Ok, back to work!

just one night

Julie! Sorry I didn't get to this until now, but here is your sneak peek!




Julie was the winner of the mini shoot giveaway so she and her cute fam had a free mini shoot. Sweet deal if you ask me. Blake was less than excited about his photo shoot, but we managed to squeeze a few smiles out of him. Thanks Julie, it was so fun to finally meet your family!

Last week was nuts and this week looks equally as crazy but we did get away for a little break this weeekend. I painted a mural all day Friday and then shot a rehearsal dinner at night and when I got home I thought my feet might fall off. And then when I woke up on Saturday and my feet touched the floor I wanted to cry. Sometimes I choose stylish over comfortable when it comes to shoes because I just don't want to be that photographer lady in the orthopedic shoes and that is a really bad idea. Anyways we were headed to my family's cabin for the weekend and Shane and I had both planned on bringing work with us. His books, my computer. But at the last minute we agreed to forget that and give ourselves one night of freedom. And I'm so glad we did. We took a nap, we hiked, we wore jammies, we had a fire, we watched a movie, we were just the three of us together and it was nice.

mini sneak peak 1

Told ya I'd be back! My first mini shoot on Sunday was with this cute fam. Amy and Jeff are good friends of mine with two cute little girls. Her youngest, Jensen is a week younger than Marlie so we've bonded over sleepless nights and spit up and napless days over these last 18 months.

Love this one of Jensen and Jeff.



Amy and Jeff actually asked me to take one just of the two of them which I confess I so often forget. Its easy to get wrapped up in getting good photos of the kids and forget those shots. Thanks guys!

Julie, you guys are up next. Tomorrow perhaps? Maybe. I hope. I have a mural to paint all day and then a rehearsal dinner to shoot at night. Now, I have a bunch more work to do tonight so I must go. I'm not going to mention any names, but someone woke up at 4:30 this morning and my eyes keep trying to close. Goodnight!

sick little monkey

Sorry folks, no sneak peeks of mini shoot day yet. Maybe later tonight if I can get my act together. Here is Monkey Pants peeking at you though..

Poor Miss Pants is not feeling so hot these days. She woke up the other day with a cold. I took her to the park the other night and she didn't even want to play on the playground. She just sat on the curb, kicked her feet and watched the other kids play. Thats when I knew I had a pretty sick Monkey on my hands. Ug, its the beginning of cold season I guess.

Its getting dark so early these days. When we go to the park the sunset sparkles on the lake and its beautiful. I couldn't resist taking this photo. See the cute older couple on the park bench? I hope that will be Shane and me someday.

I spent last night wading through a table full of paper work and today is full of nose wiping and doctor's visits. I promise I'll do a bunch of editing tonight mini shoot clients and post some late tonight or tomorrow!

WARNING

If you cannot stand EXTREME CUTENESS then do not continue reading this post. If HUGE CHUBBY CHEEKS and big blue eyes cause you to GIGGLE uncontrollably then do not keep reading. On Saturday I had a photo shoot with Mista Nug and his mom and dad. If you don't know who Nug is then read this post and this post to catch up. Now I realize that he is my best friend's baby and he spends a lot of time over here making Marlie giggle, but come on, this kid is really stinkin cute!

In the studio we made him wear a bunch of different hats.


Beth's grandma knitted this getup. Too funny!

And we dressed him up like a Newsie and took him to the alley.



And we got some of the fam in the park. Isn't he Kurt's mini me?!



Oh Nug, you make me melt!