Glamour Girls

On Monday, we visited our friends Jesse, Jamie and Angie. Jesse and Vivian decided to ham it up for the camera with their super big sunglasses!

Gigglefest 2011

There's really nothing I can say that would add to this video  :)

Up Up and Away

This idea was blatantly stolen from my favorite Pittsburgh blogger  :)

Grandma's Girls

As always when I take lots of photos (trips to Virginia rank high) I get overwhelmed with them and never get around to actually go through them. But I took a look at the Easter photos today, and this one popped out at me. Grandma and her two youngest grandchildren :)

Our Little Artist

I have to confess I don't do too much "artwork" with Vivian.  They do plenty of that at preschool - she brings home reams and reams of scribbled-on pages (and the occasional piece that I think I may actually save for her, too).

However, Vivian got some liquid-paint glitter pens from Grandma and also some other paint-dab pens from us, and we've been trying those out.  Both have been a big hit.  The glitter pens didn't really write, but once we took the top off, Vivian (with help) could squeeze out the paint and then finger-paint.  Well, more like hand-paint.  Lots of fun!

Squeezing out the paint

"Finger" painting

Shiny!!!!

And here is probably my favorite painting that Vivian has made - I love that she's finally using more than one color and her people are all so wide and flat - cute!

And Now For Something Completely Different ...

If you are looking for photos of cute little girls, you will be disappointed today, because I wanted to post something entirely different. 

A couple of months ago, I took photos for my friend Marina and her new vet clinic that she wanted to use for the website.  Her web designer had given her some images that he wanted to have recreated with her and her staff in it. Gulp.  I dug out and dusted off my lighting equipment, and crossed my fingers that some of the photos would turn out.  We ended up using the operating room for all photos because of the strong overhead lights ... those, together with my equipment made good photos possible.  In fact, we are thinking we should do a photo shoot with the kids there one day  :)

The website is up and running and I think it turned out really nice.  If you open it up, the photos that it scrolls through in the beginning are all mine  :)  I also opened a local magazine the other day and saw one of them used in a half-page ad.  Nice surprise!

Here's the link:  Bethel Park Animal Clinic

Next post will be photos of the girls again, I promise!

Arts Festival & Pride Fest 2011

We don't venture Downtown with the children too often, but this weekend, we actually went twice!  Yesterday, we headed to the Arts Festival where we partook in some of the action for the kids ... hoolahoops, Vivian and I made a wind thingamajing out of "trash" (Grosspapa would've appreciated that place!) and then made artwork with paint at the Childrens' Museum.  Fun!

Today, we got together with Jenny, Joel and Rowan and headed down to the annual Pride fest.  We marched in the parade with many other members of our (and other) UU churches.  We enjoyed the numerous colorful characters, were pleasantly suprised at some of the corporate sponsors (Highmark, Macy's) and then went to have Greek food for lunch before checking out a few more of the attractions for the children and heading home again exhausted!

No pictures from the Arts festival, but a bunch from today.  Looking at the photos to edit them, I'm shocked at how little (not at all) Vivian noticed the "dress-up" going on all around us.  In fact, I just looked at one picture with her with lots of colorful characters in the foreground and she exlaimed "There's Joel!".  I had to look twice to notice him somewhere in the background :)

* Updated to add that - as soon as I typed the paragraph above - Vivian took a look at the next photo and proclaimed "I'm her".  I didn't have the heart to tell her it was a he, not a she  ;)

Standing on the Side of Love - the slogan on the T-shirts

Vivian can wear her shirt for years to come!

Annelee didn't want to feel left out and made her own shirt

Oooops ... you are not allowed to climb these.  Snapped the pic first, anyways.  After all, how much more "Pittsburgh" can you get than a Heinz-Dinosaur?  :)

The banner of the local UU churches

This guy tried to preach our certain damnation to us (notice the bible in his hand, too), but was sort of swallowed up by the fun and good times everyone was having

Water just NEVER looses its attraction

With Rowan's hat

Lunch at a Greek restaurant run by Jackie Onassis' one-time chef

Rowan in her velcro suit

Vivian in her velcro suit

Stuck to the wall

And last, but not least, I just had to post these two photos together.  Some things just don't change  :)

Vivian - 2011

Vivian - 2008

The Goils

Summer Time

Ok, I know it's technically still Spring.  But we've had some decidedly summer-like weather.  So we got out the blankets and bathing suits and water buckets and had some fun in the backyard.  Rowan joined us there, too.

I love how a couple of containers and a little bit of water can keep those to girls entertained for quite a while.  I equally love that our playhouse is finally getting used!  I don't like that I really need a blanket that covers the entire lawn to prevent Annelee from pulling it back and grazing the grass down to a rather short level (not pictured :).  Although, maybe Will would appreciate not having to mow the lawn?

Moving water between the buckets

Onto bigger things

And here's the purpose for all the water shuffling - the water dance!

Sitting pretty on her blanket

Annelee only narrowly escaped the threatened soaking!

Copellia Dolls

Vivian had her first dance recital today.  The show was put on by her dance studio and ranged from a couple of classes with kids Vivian's age up to semi-professional teenagers.  Overall, very enjoyable to watch.  It was not at all the recital I expected - I had thought we'd see one fumbling class of small kids after another - when I really just wanted to see Vivian's fumbling class :)  Instead, there were some really nice performances interspersed with the occasional class of small children that rocked the cuteness factor, if not the actual steps and movements.

Dress code for the kids was very specific - we had directions for hair and makeup, and rented the costume (thank goodness we didn't need to buy it and add to our already large collection of dress up clothes), had to buy specific tights and wear a certain color ballet slippers.

Rowan's Mom Jenny brought her makeup and did the makeup for both girls.  Then we left them in the care of the other dancers and some adults that entertained them backstage until it was their turn.

Videoing was strictly forbidden, but since I was not going to buy at $35 DVD for a one-minute performance, I undertook some stealth recording anyways.  That's also my excuse for the quality (or lack thereof) of the video.  Vivian is second from the right, and Rowan all the way to the right.  It cracks me up every time I watch this how they missed the queue to start running.  Just like class  :)

Anyways, I herewith bring you some photos of our young stars and their very first real life stage performance.

In full makeup and costume

Vivian's place in the program

Brushing Her Teeth

Annelee still only has two teeth; however, we have started brushing them (I know from experience with Vivian that the pediatrician would look at me at the next visit and say "but you have to start brushing the teeth as soon as they have any and are eating food" - might as well get ahead of the curve where I can).  Annelee actually enjoys her "bathroom routine" of brushing her teeth, washing her face (her least favorite) and brushing her hair (I think she just likes the scalp massage).

Today, she insisted on brushing her teeth herself (already?!). 

And a little live-action video:

Evening Walk

There's been much walking in the evening lately ... mostly it's been Will trying to get Annelee to sleep when she woke up about an hour after going to bed.  I tried one time and she started crying half way through the walk.  She prefers walks with Daddy, apparently.

Tonight was perfect walking weather so we headed out after dinner.  Vivian was crying and didn't want to go, but (bad parents!) we made her.  Needless to say she had a lot of fun once she got over her "But I don't wanna goooooo!".  I think I was similar as a kid.  Probably most kids are.

Anyways, there was much goofing around this evening, and we even managed to briefly pose for Will and the (cell phone) camera.

If only summer wasn't already creeping up on us with it's hot days and evenings ... we need at least another four weeks or so of days like today.