Practice Shots

So I managed to get the girls to sit for a few shots this morning. I'm trying to figure out the lighting and best angles with my backdrops and lights. This is what I got with a bit of editing.

Summertime

I guess Mother Nature took the calendar serious when it said the first day of Summer was here. We went from comfortable to unbearable in seconds it seemed. I was thinking it would be great having a pool on days like this when my neighbor with the pool told me the water was 88 degrees. Yuck!

So we have been staying in the house. This is our summer hibernation. If the forecast is even remotely correct it should be cooler next week. At least a tolerable temperature.

The girls started swim lessons last Monday. It was pouring rain that morning so their first lesson was a safety lesson and not swimming. Becca was very upset about it that day. Knowing what has happened during lesson since then, I'm surprised she wasn't jumping for joy that they didn't swim.

The next day, was still a bit cold at 9:30 but they all got in. The lesson went fine, so I thought. They ask the parents to stay way back from the pool, so I can't hear what is happening or make out facial expressions. I can just see where they are, make sense? (one mom even brings binoculars) So when they came up from the pool and Becca was stomping and had her angry face on I was surprised. She wouldn't say why she was mad, but Bridget reported that the teacher asked Becca to do something twice and that made her mad. Oh my! We chatted a bit about doing what the teacher asks regardless of whether you want to or not. The next day things went downhill even more.

Wed. the lesson was in a deeper part of the pool and Becca decided that was too much for her. She decided to scream the whole time. She screamed so loud I could hear every word she screamed and she screamed in the ear of her teacher. We have had problems with her screaming like this. It hurts your ears and it is not okay with me that she does this.

So it seems, along the way, she decided she is scared of the deeper water. Fine. You can be scared. You may not scream like she did.

So since the screaming day she has basically just not participated. She will just sit on the side of the pool and watch her class if they let her. I talked to the lessons supervisor and she is now giving Becca private lessons each morning. Becca acts like she has never been in water before. It is a little funny how stubborn she really is.

On the other hand, Bridget is doing fantastic. She loves the water. She wants to do the best in her class. She told me that she is good at this and it "might be her thing". They had a contest to see who could float the longest and she won. She was elated about it. Good for her.

I also signed the girls up for tumbling classes for the summer. Thought we would take a break from dancing. They both like this very much.

I have not mentioned it here before, but I'm sure most people know already. Schaun lost his job a few weeks back. He has been busy finding a new one though. He has lots of contacts and it is paying off now. Today he goes back to one place for a second interview and he has another one set up for next week at a different place. So good thoughts for us please that he will be back to work in a couple weeks.

Dance Recital 2009

The dance recital was last week and I am very slow at getting any pictures on here (as I have been told).

I think I have said this before, but for a recap, Bridget did a ballet to Ballerina Girl and Becca did a tap to Uptown Girls.

They both looked so good in their costumes and had lots of fun. They really like getting up and performing.

I recently got a backdrop and light kit for my house. My first attempt at some pics was the girls in their costumes. I didn't get exactly what I wanted on my first try, but now I know what I need to work on.

Camp out

Long ago, before I had all schedules I agreed to a Girl Scout overnight. It was planned in a local park (Ironwoods in Leawood) where they have rental cabins. I am not one for camping, so if you are going to get me out doing anything remotely like real camping, there better be a cabin, preferable with a shower. There were no showers in these, but I was close enough to home to agree to this.

As it turns out we had dress rehearsal and camping in the same night. It all worked out though. We got to the camp, got all settled. The cabins were very nice, very clean. The park attendant comes up and lights a community fire for all four of the cabins (and later they put it out). So we had some hot dogs and burgers. Bridget and I left for rehearsal and when we got back the girls made s'mores. It all worked out. The only thing we missed was some walking around in the park. We were suppose to get some storms that night, but thankfully they went North. That doesn't mean that we got enough sleep though. Bridget couldn't sleep because she didn't have her music to listen to. We were up very late and we got up around 6:30. Yep, we were T-I-R-E-D o n Sunday.

I didn't get many pics because I was having trouble with things like batteries for the camera not charging. I did get a few of Bridget just being silly.

a night out on the town

After I talked Schaun into going to Old Shawnee Days last night, it was a big disappointment. It was so crowded that we could not even walk around. The girls were so excited to go and ride the ferras wheel and other rides. That was not to be. We bought them each a huge thing of cotton candy, played one game and left. Becca was most unhappy to say the least. She put on her best pouty/angry face, acted out the appropriate actions for such face, but it did her no good. There was nothing to be done, but leave. The lines were so long--I had flashbacks to Disney lines.

We left and drove over to Antioch Park and that seemed to make thing all better. The girls ran off to the playground and made new friends in about 2.5 seconds. These new friends happened to be part of a large Hispanic family. Not that I even would have mentioned that except for as they were running I heard Becca say " Come on amigos!". Really? She called them amigos? There was something awkward about it.

This weekend is busy. Today I am giving a massage and tonight the girls have work rehearsal for their dance recital on Sunday. Tomorrow, Bridget and I have a Girl Scout camp thing in a local park. Don't worry, there are cabins for me....I mean us. We have to leave the park and head over to the school for the dress rehearsal then return to sleep in the park. So Bridget will be running around on trails and playing in a park, leave and have to get all prettied up for dress rehearsal and then return to the park. Bad planning by me. Then Sunday is the actual dance recital. Have I mentioned my dislike of driving before?

I'm just sitting here enjoying the post-rain breeze thru the window. Tonight the girls and I spend several chatting and crafting. Bridget decided to plan a dance competition. She made flyers to be mailed to the competitors. She is so serious about it. Becca spent the evening making little mini cards for people. Both girls have two loose teeth. It seems odd to me that Becca is already going to loose teeth. Well, just having some random thoughts. The girls don't seem to miss school at all. Bridget has been reading everyday, on her own, so that is good. Tomorrow I am getting a massage and I'M SO EXCITED. It has been too long. This weekend we have the girls dance recital and Bridget and I have camp out event. That should be interesting.