Modeling

Last week Park Avenue Photography photographed you modeling hair accessories for Peyton's Place Boutique.

This shot is one of the play shots taken after the 'real work' was done. You had a BLAST being photographed, and just plain being the center of attention (not surprising). I had equally as much fun being a 'stage mom' and encouraging/egging you on. Watching you so giddy was a riot!

The dress you're wearing here was a birthday gift from your friend Chloe and her mom Robyn. Before they moved out of town, Robyn and her husband Steve both photographed you many a time, and often encouraged me to get you into baby modeling. So it's fitting their dress was used for some of the shots!

For your first time modeling, I'm amazed at how well you cooperated and knew to look at the camera and smile. Actually, the photographer was amazed at your 'natural talent', too.

This is what Holly, the photographer said about your shoot:

I just photographed a natural supermodel! Miss T is only 15 months, never been in a professional shoot before, but OMG, she knew exactly what to do! One minute she was oo-ing and awe-ing over the bubbles mom was blowing, and then she'd look right into my camera lense, pause, do a little head tilt, and smile. Amazing! It was such a pleasure photographing her and hanging out with her cool mama! Luv ya Diva T!

Here is a link to a few of my favorites from the shoot:

Modeling Peyton's Place

You're Seriously the Coolest

Today rocked. You are SO awesome. We left this morning at 10:30 and were on the go alllll daaay. You didn't go to bed until 9:30 - and not one meltdown, fit, or too-tired cranky complaint.

Today is Halloween, and you celebrated like a champ! We started off this morning with a Spookluck at the park for 2 hours playing and snacking on fruit and treats with our playgroup. 95 degrees out, so we were modified (and matching) witches.

After the park we had lunch with our friends Amber & Mia, and Emily & Abby. From there we picked up Chase, and all went home for precisely 45 minutes for your nap, then got right back in the car. We dropped Chase off on our way to a Halloween party at MyGym...where you immediately started dancing as soon as we walked in and you heard the music. Had a great time there with some friends we met recently, then we were off to the grocery store to pick up a couple items for dinner (and smile coquettishly at many of your costume admirers).

One more stop (to what I call Price Club but is actually Costco), where we happened to run into your friend Abby and her family, and we were on our way home...but not for long. My mom came over and we ate dinner, then got you de-costumed and re-costumed. I stayed a witch, and you became my black cat. Then we hit the streets for your very first trick or treating. Umm, I guess it wasn't your first-first time (we went last year too, but you pretty much slept through most of it), but this was your first time actually walking up to the door.

In addition to your obsession with shoes, (mine, yours, your friends', my friends') you are now obsessed with purses. I got you an old-school style plastic pumpkin jack-o-lantern for you to play with, and decided to tell you it was a purse so you'd hold it while trick or treating. Uh, no problem-o there, kid.

Your very first house I carried you up the driveway then set you down on the walkway to the door. I handed you your pumpkin and said "hold your purse" which you did proudly, then said "hold my hand" and with your other hand you grabbed on to mine and we walked up to the door to ring the bell. They must have heard us outside because they came out before we got a chance to ring, and you were a little nervous about that at first. I said "trick or treat" for you, and told you to give them your purse. You held it out, they dropped a candy inside, and you looked amazed. You don't even know what candy is, all you knew was you now had something to put inside your purse and carry around! As I thanked them for the candy and said bye, you waved and said 'bye-bye' and we were off to try the next house!

Now a seasoned professional at trick or treating, you were yet again amazed when we got to a house that did not drop a candy inside your pumpkin purse, but instead offered a large bowl of candy for you to choose, and put it in your pumpkin yourself. Amazed...but not stumped. This seemed like a cool idea to you, so you chose a candy...twice. You were so cute, they let you have both :)

You had a great time meeting our neighbors, seeing other big kids, not being scared at the haunted house (and wanting to go see it again!) and of course carrying around your increasingly heavy pumpkin purse so we ended up staying out for over an hour and a half - and a lil past your normal bedtime.

When we arrived back home, we could not buck tradition and quickly dumped the loot from your pumpkin onto the living room floor to inspect. You thought this was a great idea and sorted, un-sorted, and re-sorted for so long KittyX came over and stole a lollypop to play with. Luckily, candy holds no value to you (yet!) and you were not offended. Quite the opposite in fact - you offered him another candy, that's how much you love that cat!

It wasn't until Grandma started eating a mini chocolate bar that you even realized these tiny packages contained anything edible. I thought you would start to insist I open one for you (no way, kid!), but instead you just held up a candy to your mouth and pretend-ate it over and over. I love the way you fake-chew, its so cute.

By now it's WAY past your bedtime, so Grandma goes home and we get ready for bed. You're so tired I think you were happy to lay down. As we lay down you put your head on my belly, and I realized since my feet were feeling sore from such a long day (11 hours) that your little tootsies might be beat as well. You snuggled-in, and as I rubbed your flat little feets you were asleep in less than a minute. Just so you know, that NEVER happens that quickly. Maybe I should try baby foot massaging more often?

As I'm writing this to you I'm having a glass of water and eating (your) dry-roasted edamame snacks. What an I thinking? You've got a stash of 30+ candies, and you aren't allowed to eat it! Dad and I made a deal: I get any chocolate, he gets the candies. Well, we have to do something with your loot!

Happy Halloween kid, you're the absolute coolest and so much fun!

Playing Chase's Guitar

 
 
 

Dress Up

She's only 14-month old and already playing dress up with Mum's high-heels.
 
 
 
 

What Does The Kitty Say?

Tristyn, everyday you show me how smart you are, and it reminds me that I underestimate your brilliance. Tonight we were playing with your MagnaDoodle. We were scribbling together, then back and forth, then together. Next you handed me the stylus and looked up at me, so I figured you wanted me to draw something myself. The first thing that came to my mind was a kitty - your favorite. You love our cat SO MUCH. You know that the words cat/kitty are interchangeable, and that Budz is his name (well, nickname). You even know the neighbor's "Orange Kitty" is named Rio. Kitty was the 3rd word you learned to say.

So I drew this crude sketch of a cat very quickly (OK no critique please - I know its ridiculous but its on a MagnaDoodle board and I was rushing - you like things done FAST!), then I showed it to you without saying a word. You studied the drawing for a bit, then said simply "mAOW", meaning "hey, that's a cat!".



Yes, you meow. Our cat does a lot of speaking, especially when he is being pet. I call it feedback. I think he just wants to root us on in encouragement while we are petting him. Anyway, you noticed his boisterous language very early on, and mimic/taught yourself how to meow. One day he meowed, then so did you! The thing is, KittyX (aka Budz) meows a little differently than most cats, so you don't say meeeoooow like most people would. You say it just like The Budz does: mAOW, and you quit saying the word kitty and prefer to meow in its place. If you see Budz or Rio through the window, you meow. If The Budz meows at you, you meow. If I say "What does the kitty say?, you meow. You might be a lil kooky, now that I really think about it :)