Through the eyes of a 2 and 4 year old - Eau Claire

So as we just got home from vacation in the northwoods, many may think our next blog post would be about being up north where it was cool and the mosquitos plentiful.  Short diversion - both the girls know the Yeah Yeah Yeahs song Mosquitos - suck your blood which is fun to hear in the backseat while you are driving.

But no, I am behind but really feel the need to get a post out - so instead I am using their own work as inspiration.    We gave Grace an old digital camera a year or so ago to take pictures with and here is some of Grace and Clara's photo work.   It is interesting what becomes important subjects for them and how sometimes they hit the mark with their composition.  

I am sure I will do more installments of this type of blog as we have many pictures saved from the camera - it was easy to do the cut off with time in Eau Claire.

First group of subjects:  Food - just like people on instagram - the girls like taking pictures of food and drinks:

You can only see so high next to the stove

 

Then next comes people - friends and family abound!  Although not always centered....

Mom's friend Steph

Mom's friend Abby

You can only crane your neck so high to see Dad

Ooops, a little low - it happens

Cousin Jackson at the cabin 2013

Poppa Dan - cabin 2013

The favorite place to be to watch TV in the old house

Grace's friends from Daycare - a teacher probably took this one

Mallory the babysitter in Eau Claire

 



Next comes Scenery:

The park near our old Eau Claire house

Cabin picture - 2013

Owen Park

I actually liked this one quite a bit and put it in B&W on our wall

 

Finally - still lifes and cat pictures.  We have soo many pictures of Willow - she will never be forgotten!

The pineapple on my robe

The cover of a Rolling Stone

Awesome Packer plane toy

Hope you enjoy the world through the eyes of my girls!

Graduation Day

For weeks Grace had been excited for graduating from Pre-Kindergarten.   Being old-school myself it seems a little over the top to have a graduation for every stage of school – I graduated from high school and college only – both seem like worthy accomplishments.   However, she was excited so we did it up and got excited ourselves for the big day.   

A little last minute, we planned for the big day.    What do you do for a Pre-K graduation?   A small party with a gift is what we decided on.    Jason was in charge of getting some sort of cake/cupcakes.    He did this one up well by going to Jilly’s a famous cupcake shop in St. Louis that has been featured on Cupcake Wars.    A ½ dozen cupcakes was more than enough sugar for us for the next several days.   He also took care of the gift – a very much wanted secret diary with a lock on it.   The lock was super important and he ended up having to go to three stores to find one.    Way to go Dad!   I picked up the house, made some appetizers for after the event and then picked some peonies from our yard for decorations.

Laura Almodovar came out for the graduation ceremony and we headed over to the daycare center together.    There was 17 kids graduating for the evening and all were as excited as Grace for their big event.   There was a slide show of recent activities done at school and decorated classrooms for parents to check out.   All of Grace’s class had their picture taken with what they wanted to be when they grew up.   No surprise, Grace wants to be a Rock Star when she grows up (her favorite artist currently is Pink).    The graduation ceremony itself was quite short – with a song by the graduates and a reading from Dr. Seuss.    They all threw their caps to end the in great celebration and cake with friends and family.



Grace and her three teachers, Miss Shirley, Miss Laurie and Miss Lori

Back at the house, presents were opened quickly and a profuse amount of thank yous for the secret diary.    Then the special cupcakes and candy from Mexico Laura brought.  

There were no tears from the parents, we are both ready for the kids to continue taking the next steps in their lives growing up to be lovely and responsible adults.