"My" Country Lane

Ellie and I went to my favorite "country lane" today to scope out some good backdrops for a photo shoot I have on Sunday. When I told her what we were doing, she said she didn't want to have her picture taken. So I didn't fuss too much with her hair, since actually making it photo-worthy practically takes an Act of Congress these days! As luck would have it, once we got there, she decided to be a willing model. Go figure. I'm SO over thin, messy preschool hair!!!! Ugh. So just ignore the "crazy hair" in the following photos, please. :-)

Aside from my frustration over the hair issue, we had a fun time. Ellie was workin' it for the camera, and I got lots of good ideas for Sunday. 'Can't wait, Taylor girls!!!

Ellie was making me nervous when she was in the corn. She kept wanting to go further and further as if we were in a corn maze. You know, one with an actual end and people you can scream for if you get really lost?? I was, of course, focusing on following her, adjusting camera settings, and taking pictures. And in the back of my mind I kept thinking, "What if we can't find our way back?!?" :-) The rows curved enough that it was rather disorienting in there! Obviously, we got out safely, but it did make me nervous! :-)

(Don't forget, you can click on any image to view in full size.)

One of my two FAVORITES from the day! She's trying to make a bouquet out of soy beans...which have fuzzy pods! Did ya know? I didn't! There's my "something new" for the day!

"Now this is working better!" Grasses along the edge of the lane made a perfect bouquet for her to pretend she was getting married. :-)

I played around with the saturation and filters on this one...I kinda like it.

I asked Ellie to go up the small hill to where the red and orange leaves were, then turn around and skip back down the hill toward me. Turns out that although she can skip, it still takes a bit too much effort (and tongue-twisting) to look as natural and cute as I was hoping. :-) Oh well...

Jim and I both LOVE this one! This is a natural Ellie Smile!!!

And I like this one a lot too. Is it just me, or does this look a whole lot like my childhood pics?!? Anyone???

This one is also a "Typical Ellie" expression. It's a dead give away that she's goofin' around.

And like that, she was done. Headin' for the van (that I parked in a corn field). Notice the spunk, even from behind? She was jabbering away to herself in a high-pitched voice probably narrating some tale of going to dance class or getting her "little sister" ready for school or just talking to her friend, "Toolie"...who knows! :-)

What a character, this one! It turned out to be a very good Mommy-Ellie day today. We were certainly due... :-) See? The miracles a camera can work!

Lost: Two Front Teeth

Ben lost not one but two teeth at school on Monday! (They were due to come out - not victims of "unnecessary roughness" on the playground. :-) Here's a shot of his now toothless grin. Aside from being able to stick his tongue through the void, he is very tickled by this new-found "thumb-sucking receptacle." :-)

Check out my pennlive blog for more pics and details!
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Hallelujah!

As my sister will readily attest, I rarely listened to "normal" music as a teenager. I loved listening to Classical music, Broadway shows, and even contemporary band and orchestra pieces. Yeah, I'm sure this doesn't come as a surprise to many, right? :-) I mean, what 15-year-old listens to (and sings along with) Les Miserables the entire way cross country and back?!? Sarah still gives me a hard time about that one. :-)

One of my favorite pieces has always been Handel's Messiah. I have a few different recordings of it, and in my pre-child days, I would listen to them in the car constantly during the holiday season. It is such a powerful piece! Once while in college, I got hired to play 2nd oboe in the Messiah for a few performances. What an experience!

When Jen (a college friend) posted this video of the Hallelujah Chorus on her facebook page, I just knew I had to share it! It's a high school group performing a slightly altered version, but it's "powerful" just the same.





As an elementary school teacher, I am always desperate to find a single student with a developed sense of humor, even on a "slap-stick level." In middle school, I find the students' ideas of humor to be mainly too giddy and silly. Then finally, by tenth grade, it seems that some students (usually boys) develop a more refined sense of humor and the ability to use it correctly and subtly. This is case in point, don't ya think? :-) 'Hope it made you laugh!

The Art of Compromise

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Meat Muffins

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FREE Chocolate!

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A Public Apology

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