…and I just want a million dollars!

I will give 10 cool points to the person who can tell me what AMAZING television show and which episode that line comes from.  You can earn a bonus 15 cool points if you can tell me the episode the “cool points” come from! [Kelly, I will be disappointed if you don't get this because I think of you as the tv trivia goddess!!]

What I mean by the title is that while whining about the huge photoshop books I have to try to read was super-productive in my last post, I decided to try a different approach.  I actually went onto the world wide web, maybe you’ve heard of it?, and I looked up photography classes in my hometown.  Shockingly enough there are some!  Duh!  Why do I think this stuff is rocket science?  Probably because photo*shop has more bells and whistles than any instrument I ever used in a chemistry or physics lab:)  I am really excited to see how far I can go with my little obsession hobby.  

I’m trying not to pat myself on the back too much, but I think I’ve been making some really good progress on taking pictures that I like lately.  Notice I did not say “good” photos, but photos that I like and at this stage that’s all that matters because no one’s paying me to take pictures they like!  I’m hoping a little tutoring from a pro can help me take things up a notch.  My dad keeps telling me I have lighting problems, but that does not actually solve the problems, it just points them out.  I think he’s just a little bitter because I got a sweet deal on a giant Nikkon camera a few months ago and a) it’s bigger than his camera, and b) I’ve betrayed my Canon-loving family by embracing the other side.  Jokes on me because I really bought myself out of being able to share lenses, but as I said it was an amazing buy!

I digress!  We made it back home safe and sound and it’s been a chaotic week trying to get things back under control at work.  As always my staff is great and they had no problems without me, but the administrative stuff has been a bit excessive the last few weeks and we’ve been having computer troubles on top of that!  Here’s hoping tomorrow is the end of that because I’m not going to be pleasant if I have to look at that “trying to connect to the server” error message every 2 minutes again next week:)

Luckily Chloe’s preschool started a new unit for June and it is on water.  I cannot tell you how much the pumpkin LOVES water!  It just makes me smile how unbelievably excited she gets when she sees any little puddle or raindrop.  She did not make it home in her cute skirt on Tuesday afternoon because she had found some mud puddles to jump in during outside play time.  Maybe I can help encourage her to turn her love of water into a career defending the integrity of the Clean Water Act?  Maybe not, but I sure would love it!  

The only tricky thing about the water unit is that they now have water play day one day a week.  No problem, right?  Well we’re supposed to bring a swim suit to leave there or remember to bring one every week (not going to happen, I know my limitations!)  I tried to buy her a cheapy at wally last night, but they had nothing in her size with the mermaid on it, which is what she wanted at the time and what they did have were kind of skimpy bikinis for a 2-yr-old so we tried tarjay.  Found some cute mermaid suits, but guess what was hanging next to them?  Thomas swim trunks!  She loves that silly train so much she already has a blanket and sheet at day car with him on it.  I am trying not to force her into gender roles, but swim trunks do not come with shirts, nor did they have even a semi-matching shirt to be found in her size.  So to make myself feel like people would know it was her idea not mine to get swim trunks I also had to buy a hot pink and black swim shirt and bottoms from the girl’s rack to wear with it.  

Why do I care what people at day care think of what she wears to swim day?  I don’t know, it’s an issue probably left over from childhood or something.  I didn’t see her in the trunks, but I’m sure she was still the cutest little swimmer around even if people were a little confused about which boy’s trunks Chloe had stolen:)

We had an exhausting evening and now my tiny girl is sleeping next to me on the couch.  I can’t bring myself to move her yet because she looks too dang cute!  It’s funny how you can kind of see how busy our day was by the look on her face when she’s sleeping.  She’s worn out tonight!

Wow that was long for me!  I’m going to sign off with one of my favorite pics from our photo tour of the bridges last week.  I haven’t done the editing I want, but I love this one just like it is!

The sky was absolutely fabulous that day, which gave a beautiful blue background to the red bridges, but the bright sun led to some squinting and half-closed eyes, too, so it was challenging.  I don’t know what Harry was doing for sure, but he was a real trooper on our tour!  I miss all of you guys already!!!

Ok, I’ll just add one or two of the tiny attitude I referred to before so you might get an idea of what I’m talking about…

Chillin’-

 

I’m busy driving here mother-

 

I’m outta here!

And here’s the sweetness that almost always follows the fiesty!  Love this!!!

 

How many people do you know who can pull off this outfit without looking at least a little trashy?!  Yep, that’s a metallic silver peace sign!  LOVE. THIS. GIRL.