How to raise 2 girls in 18 years......

After watching world news, reading the local newspaper, and one small panick attack later.....I realize that I have no idea how to prepare these little girls of mine for life in this day and age. I realize I need to teach them things that will get them through sound, unharmed, unscathed. I'd like to see them self-reliant, ambitious, strong, smart, and compassionate. I know every mom wants this for their children...so I am calling on all those wise to the world to post some words of wisdom for my babies as they grow up in this world of diseases, predators, cheats, terrorists and oh ya, boys. Who has advice for these two....and the mother that will guide them through....?

Go ahead, click on comments and list a few things you think these little girls should know as they head into this world!

I'll start with a few I am teaching them now:

1. Dance and laugh often, its infectious.
2. Share and consider others and most often they will do the same for you.
3. Try lots of things, travel, explore, discover, learn.

Rockin and Rollin

Conversations with a 2 year old

Madelynn (as the sun crossed over her face in the car) : Oh, it's sunny. It feels good!

Me: Yes, it does. It's going to be a nice day.

Madelynn: Yum, the sun tastes good. I'm gonna eat it.

Me: We can't eat the sun silly, its too far away and too hot.

Madelynn: No, I'm gonna get a fork and eat it mom.

pre-preschool or something like that...

Today was the first day of "school" for Madelynn. Actually kinda like "preschool"...... Well more like "pre-preschool" or actually the "4 hours on Wednesday when I drop off Madelynn and she learns stuff, does crafts, plays outside, eats lunch, and tires herself out so I don't have to-school".

When we arrived to pick her up (we = Myself, Norah, Madelynn's grandma AND two cameras....C'mon first day of pre-preschool is a big deal!) we snuck in to see her playing happily and barely turned around to acknowledge our presence as we were waving wildly towards her. I started snapping away to capture the moment, she painted a butterfly that was hanging on the wall...snap. We posed her with her backpack and her beautifully painted craft blocking the halls as everyone else is rushing in to pick up their child not giving pause to this event that is taking place...Madelynn's first day at pre-preschool. We were like Papparazzi around her yelling her name to get her to look at us for that million dollar photo. You just wait 'til prom kid...........

This is proof that I do exist....

egg dying extravaganza

the littlest girl in the world

Mark Twain

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Catching Errands

Me: Ok, we gotta to run errands, lets go.

Madelynn: But where'd they go running?

Me: Where'd what go running?

Madelynn: The errands

Me: I don't know, but we gotta go catch 'em.

Overheard between a 2 month old and a plastic toy....

Whoa, I'm sorry I spaced out for a sec....you were saying?
Why I oughta.....
Are you serious...your mom does that too?
Am I doing it? Just like you?
And so then she said.....
Uh huh....no way......and then what happened?
That little clown said what about me?
Ya well the other toys said that you have been talking about me.........

Conversations with a 2 year old

Madelynn: Mom, when is spring coming? Where is it?

Me: Soon, babe, the trees will wake up and they will grow big green leaves.

Madelynn: Mom the trees are waking up, where is spring?

Me: Spring is right around the corner babe.

Madelynn( nodding her head in agreement): Ya, right around the corner by the couch.

A Flair for the Dramatic

This morning I attempted to , rather slyly I must say, set up a shoot for some jewelry for a client. Slyly because I knew that a) since it was jewelry I was shooting, Madelynn would insist on wearing it all and b) she would want to be IN the photoshoot, right there with the jewelry. Much to her dismay, that would not go over well with the client. Well, I quickly came to realize you cannot slyly do anything in this house. Madelynn knows every sound of a photoshoot, the paper backdrops rustling together, the click and slide of the light stand, the zipper slowly opening the camera case..... she knows it all. As soon as she heard that first click and slide, she immediatly began jumping up and down screaming Maddie's photoshoot! Maddie's photoshoot! She then dashed off to her room and proceed to rummage through her dress up box to find the perfect gown to wear. Today she has chosen her 1920's inspired flapper dress by designer Creative Designs LTD, and of course she couldn't do her photoshoot without Teddy and Chi Chi, her favorite friends of the moment. She threw them on the backdrop and pulled a chair up to pose on. Above you will see her dramatic self inspired poses and truely magnetic smile.....

My girls

Bunny Baby